


Is Ignorance really bliss?

by Kagaminelenny



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mikoto Didn't die, ROK - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-03-02 14:30:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18812827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kagaminelenny/pseuds/Kagaminelenny
Summary: Munakata woke up in a hospital bed, with no memory of being the Blue king and with a warm hand clasped around his own.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, it's my first work so please go easy on me! I just had a sudden rush of feels to write mikorei so here it is. It's just something I wrote on a whim, but it could be continued, depending on how it goes.

“Captain!”

That was all Munakata heard before bright white light overtook his vision.

_Awashima-kun! Fushimi-…who?_

When he regained consciousness, he was lying in a fairly uncomfortable bed, with a consistent beeping in his ear. _Ah, a hospital. But for what reasons should I be here?_

There was a warmth clasp over his left hand, one that was not entirely unfamiliar, yet when he looked up, he was not able to link that masculine face framed by dark fiery hair to a name. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet he just could not draw the link.

“I beg your pardon, but who are you?”

Initially, his face was one of relief, one that Munakata confused about, _why would a stranger look so relief at him waking up?,_ but as soon as he heard the question spoken, his facial expression changed so quickly, from relief to a mixture of disbelief, confusion and frustration.

“Oi, don’t fuck around with me, Munakata.” A low, baritone voice, barely concealing the raging of emotions swirling inside the man next to his bed.

“I do not understand what you mean by that foul demand of yours, but I do sincerely do not recognise or know you.”

The gentle and callous hand instantly jerked back to its owner, who then stood up abruptly.

“I’ll call for the doc.” And he left the room.

While the stillness of the room did give Munakata room to breathe and process the situation, it did nothing to ease that apprehension building within his chest.

He stared at his left hand, wondering why did his body unconsciously want to reach back out for that seemingly familiar warmth.

Still lost in his thoughts, the door to his room suddenly slid open, revealing a fairly well-endowed lady followed by a dark-haired fellow.

“Captain! How are you feeling?”

“I am fine, thank you very much for your concern. However, for what unfathomable reason would I be addressed as Captain?”

Both the visitors’ eyes widened and stared wordlessly at one another, holding a silent conversation, one that Munakata was not invited to.

The doctor then walked into the room and ushered the two still-silent occupants out of the room. They were clad in a blue uniform, one that Munakata found not only pleasing to the eye but also proud to look at as well.

At this point, the doctor was doing his routine check on his vitals, asking him question on how he felt and so on. After the procedure, he promptly had a sigh of relief and left the room without another word.

Despite Munakata’s cool exterior, he was no stranger to his own emotions. It was more so where he was extremely in tune with his emotions that he knew how to keep them at bay and allowed for rational processing of the world around him. He was certain of the feelings his body felt at those different times, the yearning he felt when that rough yet kind hand left his, the need to lead he felt when the lady called him Captain, all these emotions, familiar yet not making any logical sense. _Unless my mind and emotions are out of sync? It would seem that my feelings are more in tune with what is around me, compared to my mind. Perhaps, a memory loss? Yet, I do not feel any soreness or injuries, so it was not a physical impact that took them away. So how?_

It suddenly became aware to him that there was a cool yet steady hum within him, an otherworldly force that gave him a sense of comfort together with power. Unconsciously, he surveyed his room, as though looking for something yet not knowing what exactly he searched for. When his eyes landed on a sword, sheathed in a royal blue scabbard, a sense of relief washed over him for reasons he did not know.

_Tenrou._

A sudden knock drew him out of his musings and the door slid open. The same doctor walked in with, together with the man who he first woke up to.

“Munakata-san, from the accounts I had heard, it would seem that you have lost your memory.” _Bingo._

“It would seem as though the strain you were handling had that ability. However, no worries, as the strain has been caught and a solution will soon be made known. In the meantime, please take a good rest as the work of a Blue King seemed to have taken its toll on you that night. Please press that buzzer on the right of the headboard if you need any assistance. Please excuse me.”

Munakata stayed silent throughout the explanation, staring at the table at the end of his bed, trying to absorb what information he could. _So, my memory loss is due to unnatural reasons. That made sense. However, Blue King? Is that the position I have now due to this power I have within me? How did that happen? Was I chosen? Or did I choose to get myself into this situation? What on earth happened that night?_

“Stop thinking so much. It’s gonna hurt your brain.”

Munakata finally looked up, seeming to remember the other man’s presence.

“Unless you can answer my question, please do not interrupt my train of thought. It is rather confusing to wake up with so much critical information that does not any sense. I would like to be able to at least be able to proce-”

“Suoh Mikoto.”

“Excuse me?” “My name. You asked who I was, didn’t you?”

“Indeed.” _Seems like I can start from there. Starting from that almost anxious grab around my hand that I woke up to._

“What is our relationship?”

Suoh stiffened, barely visible to those observant, and his lips tightened. _Did I strike a sore spot?_

“You were fighting a strain that night, a strain is a being with powers that were not gifted to them by the Dresden State, unlike you and me. Seems like that strain got a hit on you or somethin’, and you lost your memory.”

“ _Unlike you and me, you said_. So are we similar in a sense?”

“Kinda. I’m the red king, you’re the blue king.” With that, he brought up his power, orange flames licked tips of his fingers.

Munakata stared at his hand, letting out an amused hum while processing the new information given.

“So what does the ‘Kings’ do? What duties do they hold? What is this Dresden State you mentioned?”

“Those are questions you should ask that lieutenant of yours and Fushimi, the two that came into your room earlier. They probably know more about it than me. Besides, ‘m exhausted.” As though he just came back from a long tiring day at work, he let out a lethargic yawn, gave a lazy wave and left the room.

_This guy seems. Extremely indolent. However, it does seem that he is withholding critical information from me. Especially concerning the relationship between us. I wonder if is it something that should be hidden or forbidden?_

At that last thought, he felt a tight squeeze in his chest, for reasons he could not fathom.

By nightfall, Munakata managed to gather the majority of the answers he was looking for, either from his lieutenant, Awashima Seri or from his own deductions. He was more clear on what being the Blue King is about, what Scepter 4 is and the gist of what happened that night.

It was late, about 11 p.m. that night, where they were all rudely awakened from their sleep in the dormitory at Tsubaki-mon, the HQ for Scepter 4. There was a strain causing trouble at a bar and they were to head down and settle the dispute immediately. According to Awashima-kun, it was not a serious enough case where Munakata was not required to head down, but that night he was unusually stubborn about being present on site. After arrival at the destination, the squad carried out their protocols dutifully while Munakata stayed at the side, observing and overlooking the situation. The strain had been reported to have the invisibility ability, but only to a fixed number of people at a time. In other words, there were only that many people she could have fooled.

However, what they did not expect was for her to have more than one ability, something that was unheard of. According to the report given, it would have seemed that Munakata was caught off guard when struck by the Strain’s ability, something that he found to be as unbelievable as his lieutenant. As far as Munakata has remembered, he always has had fast reflexes and nothing has made it past his awareness. _Unless I was distracted by something else._

From there, the squad was able to quickly identify the location of the strain and with Fushimi’s quick thinking, apprehended her and brought her back to Tsubaki-mon.

Out of the whole incident, two things stuck out to him. One, how did the strain have more than one ability? From what Awashima reported, there has never been a strain with more than one ability captured, and two, what was he distracted so heavily by that night?

Even with his duties now made clearer to him and with his mind telling him that his duties should be of the highest importance, he could not help but drift back to the second question. After mulling a little by himself in the peace of the night, Munakata decided that he should retire for the night and get as well rested as he could before he had to readjust back to his duties. After all, even with his lost memories, he needed to still carry out his responsibilities as the Blue King.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I was on a roll and decided to just continue with the flow! This work is un-betaed so if there's any errors, sorry in advance. I'm still deciding where this story will go, so let me know your thoughts! I also think that because Munakata's really smart and observant, I decided to let him jump ahead with realising everything. Plus, I think Suoh isn't exactly the best at thinking ahead either sooooo here we go!

The next morning, Munakata was greeted by gentle sunlight filtering through the hospital windows. He glanced to the analog clock hanging on the wall lit light orange by the morning sun.

6.45a.m. Right on the dot.

_Seems like my body clock still works, with or without my memory._

Gingerly, he tested his movements and when he found no issues, lifted himself off the bed and sat on the side of the bed. Once fully conscious, his mind began to reprocess all the information from yesterday, him being the Blue King, about Scepter 4 and about Suoh Mikoto.

As if right on cue, the door slid open and in stepped the man in his thoughts.

“Mornin’. Doc said you were fine to be discharged once you woke up. So brought you clothes.”

Although it might have struck him as odd to see _Suoh_ be the one to be bringing him his clothes instead of his family, it did not actually seem all that illogical considering the dangers that his position might bring to his family. Furthermore, Suoh seems to be perfectly equipped to take on any danger and considering their similar positions, maybe it was not all that strange for him to be taking care of Munakata.

_If that is so, we may have a relationship closer than I expected._

“Good morning to you too. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to come here to pass me my clothes. That would help a lot, seeing as I do not have any presentable clothes to wear out to the public at the moment.”

All he got was a ‘hn’ as a reply and Suoh unceremoniously took a seat at the chair next to his bed. Unlike Munakata, it seemed, Suoh did not had as good of a rest as he did, if the telling signs of the swollen and dark eye bags were accurate. Nevertheless, Munakata swiftly made his way to the nearest toilet to get changed and washed up.

When he returned to his room, he found Suoh talking on his phone, in the same position he left Suoh in. Suoh seemed to be lazy in every manner of the word, with his replies being ‘hn’s with a slight difference in intonation to convey the message he wished to bring across to whomever he was speaking to. Munakata silently packed up his things, or whatever he instinctively felt was his, like his PDA and Tenrou. By the time Suoh was done talking on the phone, Munakata was ready.

“Come on, let’s go.” Suoh curtly replied, stood and headed to the door while glancing to Munakata to make sure he followed.

“Where are we heading to?”

“…My apartment.”

“Why would I be heading to your apartment? Not mine or my room in the dormitory?”

“That’s cause your lieutenant said that it would be a better option for you to use this as a short getaway while you still can. S’ not like you can get anything done without knowing exactly anything either.”

_An indirect answer, though I can’t deny what he said since I am indeed itching to get something done._

“How soon can I-”

“Stop asking questions, Munakata. It’s giving me a headache.”

“But who-”

“Ask your lieutenant.”

Munakata could not help but feel disgruntled at the number of times he was cut off by Suoh. As the paperwork was being settled by Suoh, he was once again reminded, what on earth was his relationship to Suoh? Although he could not deny that security brought about that warmth around his hand when he woke up and the attraction he felt to this man, he also felt the distinct annoyance and exasperation at the exact same man. _Perhaps they were close friends, a relationship that developed after being a Blue King, considering he still had all his memories before being a Blue King and Suoh did not appear in any of them. Or were they more than just friends? That could also be a possibility._

Munakata was not new to his sexuality, and there could be a possibility where he and Suoh could be in a relationship. However, something that seemed to nudge at him that this relationship seemed to be unlikely.

When he was still bed bound yesterday, once he was aware of his aura, that was what Awashima-kun called it, he was made known to him that his aura reacted differently to different groups of people. So far, there was three categories, his own clansmen, people who were not in any clans and Suoh Mikoto, someone from another clan.

When his own clansmen came in to check on him, his aura reacted warmly to them, as though knowing that they were on the same side, that they were one group, one family. When the doctors and nurses came in, the aura did not react at all, remaining passive to them. Lastly, whenever Suoh came near, he felt his aura flare up, as though in retaliation against an enemy or something foreign. It was as though his aura repelled the red aura within Suoh. Although he was not sure whether Suoh felt the same flare up or what Suoh felt towards him as a person, his instincts were telling him that the blue aura just did not mix with the red aura well. Almost to confirm his suspicions, his aura flared up.

“Hey. We’re done. Let’s go.” Suoh looked away from him as he spoke.

Munakata nodded and silently followed Suoh, still jumbled in his own thoughts. With his thoughts leading to nowhere, Munakata decided to push them aside for now and focus on other matters at hand, mainly his responsibilities as the Blue King. As if the world knew where his thoughts were heading to, his phone rang shrilly, pulling his mind sharply back to the present. With a look of acknowledgement from Suoh, Munakata quickly picked up the call.

“Munakata speaking.”

* * *

Within the trip to Suoh’s apartment and the call with Awashima, it would seem that she was the culprit who wanted the Captain to be away for the time being from Tsubaki-mon, as his current state was too vulnerable with him being too unfamiliar with how the auras work to be around the strain that caused his current predicament. She told him that at the same time, he should use this time to recuperate while they investigate how to undo the strain’s ability, allowing him some time off. Apparently, she was in contact with Suoh’s second-in-command, Kusanagi Izumo, who then contacted Suoh about the arrangement. When he asked Awashima about his own apartment, she was hesitant in her answer but could only tell him that he recently sold away his apartment in the city and could not tell him any more details.

It seemed strange to Munakata that he would sell his apartment away. He knew he liked a place of his own where he could relax and let go. He knew that the dormitory at work, no matter how comfortable it could be, would never be able to achieve that effect, just because of the fact he would always be conscious of it was near his place of work.

While pondering, his gaze wandered back to the solid back of the Red King just slightly in front of him. It suddenly hit him. _Could I be sharing an apartment with him? That would make more sense, like where he would have gotten my clothes from. However, why would he choose to hide that fact from me?_

“Do we share this apartment?”

Suoh stopped in his footsteps, but without turning around, let out a humourless laugh and replied.

“Heh. Shouldn’t be all that surprised you figured it all out.”

“So why were you hiding the fact from me?”

“Cause’ you don’t remember anything.”

“That does not make any sense. What does my memory loss have to do with you hiding what our relationship is and us living together?” Munakata was getting increasingly agitated, although he wasn’t entirely sure why.

“Cause’ that night. You told me that you didn’t want _this_ anymore.”

With that, Suoh briskly walked towards their apartment complex and slid the authorisation card, letting them into the lobby.

Munakata was left speechless, no sentences that could form from his mouth. _He_ didn’t want what anymore? He didn’t want this living arrangement anymore? He didn’t want to be in whatever relationship they were in anymore?

Suoh was being too vague for his liking. He liked for there to be as much information within his grasp as possible to assess any situation. Despite the demand to ask for more information, he kept his mouth shut, unconsciously aware that the mocking and almost resentful reply Suoh gave was a sensitive topic that he should not touch yet.

They walked in silence, one pondering what the other said, the other stiff and lips pursed, as though he just said something that shouldn’t be said.

The apartment was spacious, to say the least. The living room had much room to maneuver, filled with merely a sofa, game station, large TV and a glass coffee table. A bookshelf was against one of the plain white walls, with a comfy rusty red armchair in front of it. In another corner, there was a raised platform with two sides against the walls, one side shield by a row of bamboo and the last being left open for the occupants to go up or down the platform. It had a tatami flooring and mats for sitting or kneeling on, with a small square opening containing charcoal and a raised metal stand for a kettle to comfortably sit on.

From the living room, the other living spaces could be accessed, a toilet, a kitchen, a study room, a guest room and finally, the master bedroom that had another toilet attached. From what he observed, it became clear to him that this apartment had the signs that belonged to both Suoh and Munakata. The study room was clearly his, the books being familiar topics that he often read, and the kitchen had a traditional tea set on the counter. The raised platform in the living was without a doubt his.

“How did you even plan to hide the fact that I stay in this apartment as well, Suoh? It’s quite obvious that my possessions are scattered here and there.”

“Could’ve just said I’ve got another flatmate that I told to avoid the flat for a while.”

“Really, Suoh? Really?”

“Didn’t have a choice. With Kusanagi suddenly demanding it just earlier in the morning. No time to pack or hide anythin’.”

_That made sense._

As Munakata surveyed the rooms, he realised that the guest room, which he took to be either Suoh’s or his room, since there’s only two rooms that you could sleep in, was rather sparse for someone to be living in. Especially compared to how lived in the Master bedroom looked, with a fully furbished yet unmade King-sized bed and a cupboard filled with clothes. Charging cables snaked across the bedside tables, with an alarm clock ticking away on only one of them. In comparison, the bed in the guest room did not have any covers, only a blanket sat on it with a single lonely pillow. The table barely had any items on it and the closet filled with random objects, but not with clothes.

_It would seem that being in a relationship isn’t that far off after all._

“Are we in a relationship, Suoh?” Suoh’s shoulders promptly tensed up before relaxing as Suoh let out a sigh of resignation.

“…Yeah. No point hiding it, huh?”

“Why did you hide it from me yesterday?”

Suoh’s head turned to the side, with his facial expressions hidden away from Munakata. He muttered something under his breath, with fists clenched at his side. When Munakata leaned in more to ask for a repeat, Suoh snapped. He abruptly turned towards Munakata, slamming both his palms against the wall next to Munakata’s head, heated eyes meeting Munakata’s surprised ones, effectively trapping him between Suoh and the wall.

“Do you know how difficult it is to hold yourself back against the person you love so much? Do you know how much it hurts to be unable to hug and kiss you? Do you know how much I want you to remember me and our relationship? Do you know how much I just want to spill everything out to you, to just let you know what is going on between us? Do you know how much frustration I face every time I see you giving me the same expression as everyone else? I don’t get to see the gentle smile you save for me anymore. I don’t get to hear your annoying nagging at me anymore. I don’t get to hear those smartass comebacks to what I say anymore. I don’t get to see how much you love me anymore.”

Munakata’s purple eyes widened in shock and couldn’t look away from those blazing amber eyes in front of him. Hurt, desperation and hopelessness swirled inside them, but their owner was shaking, without a hint of danger despite the rough treatment he gave. Munakata unconsciously raised his hand, wanting to place them against Suoh’s cheek.

Yet, before he could even register his hand moving, Suoh jerked back and leaned away from Munakata, with his bangs covering his eyes and mumbled once before rushing out of the apartment. Munakata slid down the floor, his eyes still wide in shock while processing all the emotions that overflowed with what Suoh just told him.

“I don’t know whether what you feel for me after hearing all these will be sincere love for me or forced situational love anymore. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I have a rough plot written out already, so hopefully, each update won't take too long. However, I am new to writing, so if you have any feedback or any suggestions, do let me know :)

Munakata didn’t know how long he spent sitting on the floor trying to process Suoh’s emotional outburst, but judging by how high the sun is, he could safely say it was probably easily a few hours. Munakata was an intelligent man, a fact no one could ever deny. However, that did not mean he could solve human relationships problems as easily as mathematical problems. There were no textbooks or proven theories that could work in any given situation after all.

With human relations, it was like walking in a minefield, where you learn how and where to carefully tread. With each person, it was like a minefield with a different number of mines hidden in different locations. If you happen to step on one, either it damaged your relationship or could cause the relationship to break off entirely. However, from these mistakes, you pick up cues, learn your way around how other people think differently or similarly to you. If you happen to become proficient in it, then maybe you could even be able to walk over some of the mines without it even blowing up.

Sad to say, Munakata did not have enough confidence to say that he was proficient enough in such a skill, especially when it comes to Suoh, who was looking at Munakata as a lover, but Munakata looking at him as though a familiar acquaintance, a friend at most.

_Either way, he does not seem to be coming back so soon. No point dwelling what has been done. For now, I should familiarize myself with this apartment as well as look out for any updates from Awashima-kun._

Munakata scanned the apartment once more, now brightly lit with the sunlight pouring in from the windows. His sight landed once more on the messy bed and sighed. That bed wasn’t going to make itself after all.

As he entered the bedroom, he was overwhelmed with the feeling of familiarity that hit him. Despite knowing it was his first time here logically, his body seemed to know where home was. The atmosphere in the bedroom and the scents that wrapped around him gave him a sense of warmth and cosiness and yet, he could not help feeling that a key component was missing.

 _Suoh_ was missing.

As he sat down on the side of the bed, the mattress sank gently under his weight, with his gaze directed towards the body of the bed, one could only describe that expression as longing.

* * *

 

Suoh pushed open the door to the bar roughly, swiftly alerting everyone to his presence. Kusanagi, who was carefully wiping his champagne glass, glanced up before letting out a sigh.

“Mikoto. C’mere.”

Despite Suoh giving a displeased look at the bartender, he still gave in and begrudgingly dragged himself to one of the bar stools, sitting in front of his old friend. The rest of HOMRA, as loud and rowdy as they were, knew how to pick up signs from the change in atmosphere and quickly excused themselves from the bar, leaving the two friends to converse privately.

“He found out, didn’t he.” A statement, rather than a question.

“Hn.”

“And you couldn’t handle him finding out, let out an outburst before slamming the door, leaving him alone in the foreign apartment to figure things out himself.”

A glare confirmed that he hit all the nails right on the head. Kusanagi sighed and placed the glass gingerly back to where it belonged, before heading out from behind the bar to where his friend sat. His hands were clasped in front of him, face looking down at the bar, his voice was heavy and spoke with only seriousness and sincerity. 

“Mikoto, I know its difficult for you but keep in mind that it wasn’t your fault that this happened, or neither is it his fault. I’m sure that Munakata-san would have never chosen to forget you. He loves you too much.”

Mikoto kept quiet, not yet wanting to reveal his thoughts, but one statement kept swirling in his mind, pulling and tugging at his conscious.

_He said he didn’t want this anymore._

After a brief silence, Kusanagi stood up and headed back to behind the bar, grabbing two whiskey glasses. He poured some hard liquor in them, before offering one of the glasses to Suoh, while keeping the other for himself. They sat there, sipping the liquor, without a word, but Suoh was undoubtedly aware of the comfort that his friend was offering him.

By the time Suoh decided to head back to the apartment, it was close to 6 p.m., when the sun was beginning to set. Luckily for him, Kusanagi was present to gently coax him into eating some food for lunch, but it then struck him that Munakata was alone, in an unfamiliar place. Just like what Kusanagi said.  

Almost like an awkward form of apology, Suoh decided to go shopping for groceries and along the way, get a new 10,000 pieces jigsaw puzzle for Munakata.

When he stepped back into the apartment, the apartment was glowing a dark orange from the sun, but otherwise completely peaceful, as if the explosive outburst from earlier didn’t happen.

_Did he leave?_

Suoh felt a sudden surge of panic, hastily dropping the groceries and the puzzle on the kitchen countertop and started opening the doors one by one, not even bothering to close before opening the next.  When he reached the master bedroom, he stilled in his movement, taking in the scene before him, before briskly walking over to the bed before wrapping his arms around the sleeping occupant on the neatly made bed. He buried his face into the silky strands of midnight blue hair and breathed in a shaky breath, taking in the all too familiar scent.

Munakata stirred a little before stiffening slightly, turning slightly to try to face the red-haired man against his back and letting out a husky “Suoh?”.

“Please. Just let me hold you for a bit.” A raw and muffled plead. 

Munakata, despite being slightly uncomfortable being in technically a stranger’s embrace, found that he did not mind it as much as he should. In fact, some part of him even felt like he welcomed the embrace, that he felt like he belonged here. He carefully placed his hands on the lean forearms in front of him, before allowing himself to give in, leaning into the strong arms surrounding him and closed his eyes.

After a short moment, one that both awkward yet necessary, Suoh finally pulled his arm away from Munakata and stood up from the bed.

“Let’s eat. I’ll cook. Go wash up.”

With that, Suoh steeled himself and left for the kitchen, leaving Munakata sitting in bed, confused yet with a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest. Munakata shook his head to clear up his mind, before heading to the attached bathroom to wash up and make himself presentable.

By the time Munakata headed out to the kitchen, Suoh was done with unpacking and setting out the ingredients he needed to cook.

“How can I be of help?”

“S’ kay. Take a seat, I’ll manage.” 

After a short pause, Munakata let himself into the kitchen and surveyed the ingredients, refusing to take a 'no' as an answer. 

“These vegetables need to be washed and cut; I presume? Let me know if you need them to be in bigger or smaller pieces.”

With that, Munakata confidently took hold of the vegetables and headed to the sink. Suoh let out a sigh of resignation before starting to prep the other items. They worked side by side, rhythm steady and natural, as though it was something they had done together since young. In no time at all, dinner was served, piping hot and delicious. Both of them thanked for the meal, _itadakimasu,_ and ate quietly, lost in their own respective thoughts.

Munakata’s mind was replaying what had happened just earlier, the outburst from earlier, the sudden embrace from Suoh, the way they worked together so easily. Even just from knowing Suoh for barely a few days, even he could not deny how they slid together so easy, just like two jigsaw puzzle pieces made for one another. Yet, he was afraid as well, with a similar concern as Suoh. What if the feelings he has been getting is _because_ of what Suoh said and not because he truly developed them? How should he act around Suoh? Should he just follow his instincts, or should he keep a distance?  Should he investigate and find out more information about Suoh and how their relationship was possibly like? Because clearly, Suoh is not inclined to enlighten him with the information.

Suoh’s mind, on the other hand, while having doubts just like Munakata, quickly came to a decision. Thinking wasn’t his thing, after all. Took too much energy. Instead of going back and forth on what to do, he decided that, if he _wanted_ Munakata, then he’s _going to get_ Munakata. As simple as that. Moreover, from what responses he had from Munakata, he knew that at least the guy didn’t hate him, so that’s a start. Suoh knew that it wouldn’t be easy, but wooing him the first time wasn’t easy either, so what’s the difference going to be this time? Plus, if there’s one thing Suoh is good at, it would be dashing straight in, with his eyes set on the goal.

“Hey.”

“Is something the matter?”

“bout’ this mornin’. Sorry.”

Suoh was facing away from Munakata, but the guilt that Suoh felt about this morning it was clear as day to him.

Munakata felt an inevitable endearment for that display, immediately being able to tell how difficult it was for the other gruff and awkward man to outrightly apologise. However, that does not mean he was not going to tease the other and milk it for what it’s worth.

“So, can I assume that that puzzle on the coffee table is a form of apology as well?”

A self-satisfied tilt of his lips graced his facial features for he couldn’t hide his pride at finding out not only the gift that Suoh was most probably going to give him but the reason for it as well. Munakata was observant about many things after all.  Yet, even he could not predict what Suoh was going to say next with all the observations he made.

“Nope. That’s for me to _woo_ you back to my side.”

Suoh’s uncomfortable expression swiftly changed to one of smugness, with a smirk directed right at Munakata sitting opposite him, with his blazing amber eyes meeting Munakata's purple hues straight on.

“Wha-”

Heat flared across Munakata’s cheeks, spoon held midair, mouth gaping as he tried to process what Suoh just said.

“How crude!”

Munakata promptly left the dining table, with the majority of his food finished and stomped off in the direction to the master bedroom before quickly swerving to the guest room and slamming the door. Unbeknownst to Munakata, Suoh sat at the dining table, his triumphant smirk growing even wider, as he stared at the reddening lobes of Munakata’s ears until the guest room slammed shut.

Not even a moment later, the guest room door suddenly opened, with Munakata defiantly looking away, before muttering.

“Where are the spare bed sheets?”

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to have a school camp for the next few days, so I won't be able to update as quickly as I would like! So here any chapter before I head off to suffer :<

The days went by with headstrong Suoh occasionally dropping a bomb on Munakata with his ‘ways of seduction’, but otherwise, they went about their mundane daily routine, where Mikoto usually sleeps the day away, while Munakata reorganises a daily routine to follow. He likes everything to be in order after all. Until Suoh decides to interrupt, that is.

It was a cold morning, with winter was melting into spring, when Munakata has gotten up at his usual time of 6.45 a.m., dragged himself out of bed before washing up and cooking a simple breakfast for himself. Afterwards, he would analyse the documents that he has previously gone through as the Blue King, in order to familiarise himself with how the system he had predetermined. He was restless and didn’t like sitting around and just _waiting_ , it was like he was a damsel in distress, which he absolutely detested being.

Today was one of the rare days where Suoh decided to wake up for lunch. He gave a loud yawn as he opened the door to the master bedroom while scratching away at his toned stomach. Having already washed up in the bathroom attached to the master bedroom, he ran a hand through his ruly fiery bed hair and took a look at Munakata who was focussed on a stack of documents. Without a word, he went into the kitchen and started preparing for lunch. It was an unspoken rule between them, where if Suoh was awake and around, it would be Suoh’s turn to cook whatever meal for them, considering not only that Suoh was better skilled but how free he turns out to be as well.

Soon, the apartment was filled with delightful aromas that tickled at Munakata’s senses and his stomach growled, reminding him that it was time for lunch, seeing that it was close to 1 p.m. Similar to everything else Munakata did, he ate with unparalleled efficiency and quickly went about with his daily schedule. Suoh on the other hand, ate as leisurely as he always did, just like how he did everything else. He preferred to slowly enjoy his food; however, he would have enjoyed it even more if a certain individual learnt to cut some slack in eating _efficiently_ and ‘conversed’ with him.

_He did miss when Munakata nagged at him at the way he eats. ‘What an unrefined manner you are eating!’ ‘Please wipe your mouth after finishing your food, barbarian!’  he gently scolded while wiping away at the crumbs along his lips._

* * *

 

On one of the breaks Munakata had designated for himself, he was brewing his Japanese tea on the raised tatami platform, when Suoh decided to join him. _A way to know you better would be experiencing the things you enjoy doing._ Suoh had said.

Suoh did try his best, really, considering how seldom he sat in a _seiza_ position, but it wasn’t long before his toes were sending him emergency signals that blood flow wasn’t getting to where it needed to be, and it was only when it became unbearable, then did he decided to give up.

Although Suoh was considerably better at keeping his facial expression neutral compared to other people Munakata has met, the close proximity did give him an advantage at deciphering Suoh’s thoughts as time went on. It started with a look of pure determination, _I will push through this_ , then a look of mild discomfort, _this is fine, this is nothing,_ but slowly, the level of distress grew, _how long does Munakata take to drink anyways! How come he looks completely fine, what on earth are his toes made of!?,_ until it finally changed to a quiet admission of defeat, where he unfolded his legs and sat crossed legged, with a pout of reluctant resignation. All this while, Munakata was greatly amused by the progression, if the growing playful smile he had on his face with his glasses glinting as he joyously sipped his tea was any but a telltale sign.

“Hmph.”

Suoh didn’t need any words to know clearly what thoughts were running through Munakata’s head but he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. He was going to stubbornly achieve his goal, no matter what. He wanted Munakata, after all.

Once he knew that Munakata had his teacup safely placed to one side, he shifted himself to the perfect distance he knew by heart, before plopping himself down onto Munakata’s empty lap.

Munakata let out a sound of indignation, his smile quickly turning to a slight frown with a furrow forming between those midnight eyebrows.  

“And what do you think you are doing?”

“Getting my reward. Takes effort to sit like that and go through that, ya know.”

“I do not ever remember requesting or requiring you to go through this tea ceremony with me, and yet how is it that I have to go through the inconvenience in order to compensate you for what you have willingly decided to experience?”

“Shuddup, Munakata. Ya talk too much. Let me sleep.”

With that, Suoh turned his face and snuggled towards Munakata’s tummy before promptly falling asleep. His arms were wrapped around Munakata’s hips and rhythmic and gentle breaths were all Munakata could hear in the serene silence of the room.

Munakata knew logically that it wouldn’t take much for him to shove Suoh’s head away, however, the imagery of a fierce lion acting docile and curling up against him to take a nap was far too endearing for him to conduct such harsh treatment.

Letting out a sigh, Munakata reached for the papers he was halfway through and concentrated on them. Although the weight against his lap wasn’t completely pleasant, he couldn’t entirely agree that he wasn’t fond of the tender warmth and comfort it brought.

It was probably a short hour or so later when Munakata’s PDA rang, demanding for his attention. Suoh, infamous for being a heavy sleeper, didn’t even stir at the annoying consistent rings in the otherwise quiet room. Munakata sighs and stretched out, as far as he could without Suoh sliding off his laps, fingers struggling to reach the PDA and pulled it towards him. He swiftly answered the call, as professional as ever.

“Munakata speaking. Is something the matter, Awashima-kun?”

“Good afternoon Captain. Sorry to bother you if you were busy. However, we have gotten key information about the Strain as well as how to reclaim your memory. Owning it to Fushimi-kun, we managed to uncover quite a bit about the Strain.”

“ _Otsukaresama,_ Awashima-kun, Fushimi-kun. Could you please elaborate on the information obtained?”

“Right. The strain’s ability is unique, in such a way that, it is incapable of doing anything on its own. However, this ability allows for the strain to replicate the abilities of other strains to a limited degree. She is an extremely quick learner, only needing to observe the targeted strain’s ability, before being able to carry out the ability with almost frighteningly identical precision. Fortunately, we have noted that it only applies to the abilities of other strains and do not work on clansmen. We have also noted that despite having multiple abilities, she shows favouritism to particular abilities, such as invisibility and memory alteration. As we established previously, there are certain drawbacks to being only able to replicate and not own the abilities she copied. She is only able to carry it out to a certain degree, explaining why her invisibility only works on a number of people, and why you were only affected by the memory alteration.”

“Well done, Awashima-kun. It seems that we have captured quite an interesting strain in our hands.”

“…”

“Awashima-kun?”

“Oh, sorry. Please do not mind me. If you would allow me to speak freely,”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s just that you sounded like you never lost your memories.”

“Fascinating. Another thing, what was the method revealed by the strain to reclaim my memories?”

“Unfortunately, due to the limits she has on her abilities, she only could tell us that ‘He needs to grant the wish he made that night.’ and does not have any idea what the wish is about or could tell us any further information.”

_That night is probably referring to the night where I lost my memories. With my memories absent, I will have to work backwards and gather pieces of information, an inefficient method but the most probable to work. Considering this, there is no time to rest. Work will be piling up, with or without my memories. It’s about time to return to being the Blue King._

“Awashima-kun, I will be heading back to Scepter 4 HQ tomorrow morning. Please set up any necessary preparations I may require to resume work.”

“Pardon my bluntness, but are you in any condition to do so?”

“I have been reading up on past documents that Fushimi-kun has sent me, so I am more or less familiarised with paperwork. However, for my aura, it does seem I need to work on it more, hence, I require the dojo and suitable opponents to practise on. Therefore, there can be no longer any delay in my return to Scepter 4.”

“’M coming too.”

“Suoh!?”

“Understood. Then we will await your arrival tomorrow with Suoh Mikoto tomorrow morning with the necessary preparations set. I will head back to work now, take care, Captain.”  

The line went dead.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm back and with a slightly longer chapter than usual to make up for a later update this time. As usual, I hope you guys enjoy the story!  
> I also have taken note that the style of Munakata's thought and speaking may not be as stiff and exaggerated as in previous chapters. It isn't my style to write in such a manner, so I decided to write Munakata in such a way which I hope his character still shows but not through the choice of words! I apologise to those who may find it out of character for the sudden change but my vocabulary is unfortunately not that board and it can become quite difficult!

True to his word, Suoh followed Munakata to Tsubaki-mon, bright and early the next morning, although that certainly didn’t stop him from complaining how early it was.     

As expected of Awashima, the guards patrolling were already made aware that both Munakata and the Red King will be coming into Tsubaki-mon, and barely gave the pair a glance to confirm their identities, before carrying on their duties.

They made their way across the field and into the majestic building without any interruptions to where Fushimi was impatiently tapping his foot, arms akimbo with a face of discomfort and annoyance.

Although Munakata didn’t have his memories, it would seem that the daily walk to his office became ingrained in his body, as his feet confidently led him to where he needed to go. The surroundings could be likened to one's hometown when returned after a couple of years, where even if the scenery morphed with the change of time, it still undeniably remained as the same place.

Fushimi, tasked with guiding the pair, introduced key locations to the pair unenthusiastically, with a drawl in his tone, seeming to absolutely detest what he was required to do. Even with an almost casual stroll and hunched posture, his eyes were sharp and body language tense, gaze shifting nervously to Suoh on occasions, who on the other hand seemed genuinely bored out of his mind and let out long, lethargic yawns as they walked. Munakata merely observed and kept his thoughts to himself.

_Curious. This almost reflects how a nervous deer stays on high alert around a prowling lion, only, in this case, the lion isn't even the least concerned about the prey. Maybe there’s an unspeakable history between them, but it seems to be almost one-sided. No matters. It is their past and not one that I should pry into. Anyways, once I get my memories back, the current circumstances will most likely make more sense._

When they reached his office, Munakata was immediately overcome with a sense of responsibility and a need to do work, to get something done. His spine straightened unconsciously and his mind became clear and focussed.

“With it still being early, the team is still having their morning training in the dojo. You will be informed the moment once the dojo is ready for your use. Then, excuse me.”

Fushimi curtly bowed and left the room, as though he didn’t want to be in the presence of the Kings any longer than he needed to. However, which king he was uncomfortable with, Munakata was not able to tell. While Munakata was reaccustoming himself, Suoh, on the other hand, was ironically appearing to be more at home than Munakata in _his_ office. He dragged himself over, kicked his shoes off and plopped unceremoniously on the tatami-covered raised platform, just like the one they had at home, only larger, and let out one loud and long yawn. He tucked his hands under his head as a pillow, made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. Before long, soft snores and steady breathing was the only sound in the otherwise serene office.

In the meantime, Munakata had already made his way to his desk and situated himself comfortably in the grand armchair, before observing Suoh with a look of exasperation with a tint of fondness. His desk was kept tidy, despite his absence, no doubt due to his team, who he not yet had the chance to meet them after being released from the hospital. He knew their names, from the reports he read, but not the faces attached to those overwise meaningless words. However, in the meantime, his priority was to focus on refamiliarizing himself with his office as it was most probably going to be his workspace from now on and from what he guessed, for rather long hours as well. With that firmly in mind, he was able to keep the blur of crimson and slow rising and falling of a chest in his peripheral vision to a minimal distraction.

* * *

 

It was around mid-morning when a knock sounded against the oak doors to his office.

“This is Awashima. Captain, the dojo is ready for your use.”

“Thank you, Awashima-kun. I will head over soon.”

With a firm ‘Noted’ from Awashima, the sound of her light and purposeful footsteps faded away from the doors.

Munakata could assuredly say that he was more or less acquainted to his surroundings and the work he handled, with a stack of readied documents that were waiting to be read and signed on the left of his desk. As he was technically still new to the job, he requested for the stack to be shown to both Awashima and Fushimi to confirm what he was doing was correct and accurate, before sending them to where they needed to be. After setting his desk in an orderly manner, he headed to where Suoh was, who was still soundly asleep against the mats and barely moved from the position he first laid down in. However, Munakata has taken notice of a very slight frown to his face, where his eyes squinted, brows furrowed and small beads of sweat collecting around his temples.

“Suoh.” There was no response.

“Suoh.” The same result even with a louder call.

“Suoh Mikoto.”

Accompanied with a soft touch to his shoulders, the call of his full name seemed to have done the trick. Though barely detectable, Munakata could have sworn that it was the sound of his personal name being called that caused Suoh to jerk awake. Suoh’s eyes flew open, amber still fogged over from sleep, darting around before finally landed on Munakata. Having found their target, the amber clarified into golden orbs, with sets of emotions flashing through them, too fast for Munakata to even identify, before settling back into a dull amber.

“Were you having a nightmare?”

“…”

“It’s perfectly fine if you rather not talk ab-”

“Yeah.”

“I see.”

“…”

“The dojo seems to be ready for our use. However, if you are not feeling up for it, it is alright if you would like to skip out for today. I can request for my subordinates to train with me first.”

“S’ fine. Let’s go.”

With that, Suoh swiftly stood up, dusted himself off and briskly made his way to the door, evidently avoiding addressing the nightmare he had earlier.

_Despite how he looks, he’s clearly shaken up on the inside. What kind of dreams did he have? How bad did it have to be that he completely clammed up? Has this occurred before? Before I lost my memories or after? Has he been facing it all alone in the master bedroom or have I been able to comfort he before all this happened? What did I-Wait. Hold on._

_Why do I feel so much worry for him, even though we have only been living together for a few days and he is most definitely a grown man who is capable enough to handle it on his own? Sure, he was my lover before, but now, all he is a playful, rough and yet undeniably handsome brute trying to seduce me_ _._

_Yet despite the short time we have known each other,_

_how is it I am able to so clearly tell what he’s feeling?_  

With no answers to his questions, Munakata quickly shelved them away in his mind, in hopes of finding out in the near future. What he needed to pay attention to now was to train up his use of his aura together with finding out as much information as he can about that night.

* * *

The dojo was bright and clean when they arrive, although the stench of sweat and rubber training mats was still faintly present. The walls and sliding doors were all a pale brown with the floor being a slightly darker shade that complimented it well. On one side of the dojo, the sliding doors opened up into a spacious garden, with an empty lot that was intentionally set aside for training outdoors.

Both of them were dressed for physical activities, with Suoh in a skin-tight black compression shirt with black leggings with red flames curling down the length of his muscular legs while Munakata was dressed in the more traditional outfit suited to the dojo, with a white _gi_ and royal blue _hakama_.

Taking into account the nature of their auras, training outdoors would be more ideal, where it was less confined. Munakata wasn’t completely ignorant of how the auras worked, he did try to summon his aura before, but in a very controlled manner, as he did not want to destroy the apartment they were staying in. His hand had glowed a soft ombre blue, with navy blue closest to his skin, the source of the power, to faint baby blue where the aura flickered about furthest away, just like the flame of a candle. However, from both the presence of _Tenrou_ , which was currently at his waist, and the weapons that he had seen on both Awashima and Fushimi, Munakata deduced that the Blue Clan most likely channelled their auras into a physical entity, which were swords in their case.

With that in mind, Munakata decided on a test run, where he used the basic knowledge he gained to first experiment with how the Blue aura worked and requested for Suoh to act accordingly. Suoh merely acknowledged with his usual ‘hn’ before moving to stand opposite Munakata in the field. Despite the distance, Munakata could clearly identify that even with Suoh’s seemingly casual posture, his golden eyes were blazing with excitement and his lips had a slight upwards tilt, clearly eager to engage with whatever Munakata had planned. When Munakata placed his hand on the grip of the sword, the words came naturally to him.

“Munakata, _battou._ ”

Power and strength rushed along the length of his arm and flowed into his sword like water surging and crashing down a waterfall. All at once, the power felt overwhelming and his sword shone a blinding blue. Munakata then instinctively knew he was to curb the rush, and within seconds, the brightness reduced to a mere gentle gleam around the blade. All this while, Suoh watched Munakata with a confident and all-knowing gaze while he readied his posture, hands flaming by his side. He didn't have doubt in his mind that Munakata was capable of handling his own aura and only needed the practice to master that power back.

 With a mere swift eye contact, Munakata had barely any time to process before Suoh was ready to pounce and intuitively readied himself to fight against a roaring, bold lion.

* * *

 

Both Kings were drenched in sweat and panting profusely after multiple rounds of swapping the defensive and offensive roles, evidently worn out from the exertion of their auras.

It was a productive session nevertheless, even without them being able to exert their full powers, as Munakata wore out more easily due to the lack of usage of his aura for quite some time and also to keep damage to a minimum. Around them, there were already a couple of shattered _bonsai_ pots, courtesy of Suoh, and the ground was littered with small piles of overturned grass and dirt.

They sat at the _engawa_ veranda, with Munakata sitting with his legs slightly open, arms behind him supporting his weight, while Suoh leaned back on one arm, the other busy supporting the bottle of water he was gulping down on. After cooling down in silence, they headed off to the bathroom to wash up without a word to each other, both still lost in their respective thoughts.

It was obvious to Munakata that Suoh had better control over his aura compared to him. Where Suoh was able to increase or decrease his aura in a split second, Munakata had to focus for a tad longer before achieving the desired results. With those thoughts in mind, he decided that more training sessions with Suoh was due and decided that only after he was able to better grasp his aura, then would he ask for his clansmen to train with him.

Suoh was unusually more subdued when they finally went for a late lunch. Even with him shoving pieces of steak in his mouth in a manner Munakata would only describe as barbaric, his golden orbs didn’t shine as brightly as they did before during the fight. They were dim and lidded, as though their owner was lost somewhere, however, in his thoughts or in the past, Munakata didn’t know.

Suoh, who decided that with his job done for the day, headed back to the apartment to nap, _gotta sleep off the food_ , while Munakata headed back to Tsubaki-Mon. With Suoh’s absence, Munakata seized the chance to discover more about their history. Relying on his gut and logical mind, he doubted he would have engaged his _entire_ team about details on his private life, but he could take a chance when it came to Awashima-kun. After all, she was his second-in-command and based on how she acted so far around him outside of work, it would seem likely that she would be conscious and aware of his well-being, not only during work but off work as well.

_Fushimi-kun may also have some knowledge of this relationship, taking into consideration how he always seems to be acutely aware of everything happening around him, whether work-related or not. It wouldn’t be too far off to take a guess that Fushimi-kun would be well-informed of what was happening. Though through what means, I can't say for sure._

On the way back to his office, he stopped by to inform both Awashima-kun and Fushimi-kun to drop a visit by his office when they were done with work. As so it happens, both of them had a different schedule, allowing for Munakata to converse with each of them privately. With Awashima-kun, instead of just indulging Munakata’s questions on the spot, suggested that it would be better if Munakata was able to accompany her to Bar HOMRA, where Kusanagi worked, which in her opinion would be able to give Munakata a better overview of the situation. Whereas for Fushimi-kun, he was extremely reluctant to share the information he had on hand at the office, and as it turns out, Munakata would be accompanying him to separate bar to chat about it.

Both Awashima and Fushimi were well aware that in order to help their Captain regain his memories, they had to fill in as many blanks as they could, no matter what their opinions were on his relationship with Suoh.

* * *

 

In the dimly lit bar with soft gentle music playing in the background, Fushimi and Munakata sat at a secluded corner table with a curved sofa surrounding it. Fushimi was initially reluctant to give away what he knew, but with just a little coaxing and alcohol, Fushimi’s lips quickly loosened. He was still young, and his alcohol tolerance was still relatively weak, so just after a few cocktails and shots, he was soon blabbering away. Even so, Munakata had to occasionally prompt and guide him back to on to the topic of his relationship with Suoh, before he started chattering away and complaining about a certain ‘Misaki’.

From what he learned, Suoh frequently crashed Tsubaki-Mon, to the strong disapproval and dislike of Fushimi, as he often caused a ruckus when vying for Munakata’s attention away from work. Furthermore, Suoh was relatively destructive when it comes to his aura and was not one to hold back if he didn’t get what he wanted, almost like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. Except, the tantrum, in this particular case, caused _actual_ destruction. Suoh also could be found frequently in Munakata’s office, according to Fushimi when he delivered his reports. He apparently also knew that he and Suoh stayed together, through his sharp observations skills and perceptive deductions, which he had all but whined out.

‘It’s like sooooo obvious that both of you stayed together. Like duhhh. Mikoto-san doesn’t even bother to hide it. *hic* Saying things like ‘see you later’ with such a suggestive smirk. I bet even the whole goddamn universe knowssss *hic*’.

He apparently also knew that Suoh and he had a rather, physical relationship if one could put it that way. Although Munakata’s ears warmed and turned a slight pink, Fushimi didn’t have any reservations in hiding any details in how he found out. It would seem that Suoh had placed hickeys that were well-hidden from him, on places he couldn't see, like on the back of his neck hidden by his hair, but when a light breeze shifted it out of place, the hickey became as clear as day to everyone else around him.

‘Didn’t know Mikoto-san could be so possessive over someone else...*hic*. Don’t have to show it off to the whole world, jeezzzz. We even know you two do it in the Captain’s office. We all have ears, Captain. *hic* Please get a room. It’s embarrassing.’

Munakata had always thought of himself to be relatively well-controlled in terms of his emotions, but hearing what Fushimi had to complain about him and Suoh, even he couldn’t help the second-hand embarrassment he felt for his past self, causing his cheeks to be lightly dusted pink.

Soon, when Fushimi started repeating information, Munakata knew he had reached his limit with obtaining any more details from him and proceeded to ensure that flushing and blabbering Fushimi managed to reach back to his dorm room unharmed and ready to rest. He then strategically placed hangover medications and a glass of water together with Fushimi’s spectacles on the bedside table so that the young man would have access to it as soon as he woke up when he searched for his spectacles. He gave the lightly snoring Fushimi a mental apology before softly closing the door to his room and started making his way back to his and Suoh’s apartment.

That night, he couldn’t look Suoh in the eyes without reddening and stuttering out an excuse to escape into his own room.

* * *

 

Fortunately, the meeting with Awashima and Kusanagi spared Munakata further embarrassment, as they were more tactful in the manner they spoke. Most of the information they filled him in on was already made known to him by Fushimi, including details that Awashima was reluctant to speak of at the beginning, such as him and Suoh sharing an apartment. However, seeing that there was no point in holding back now, the floodgates opened with whatever observations they had about the couple.

Both seconds-in-command were extremely conscious of the electrifying tension, not necessarily only sexual in nature though that was present too, that the Kings had with one another, due to repressed emotions. It was safe to assume that both sides held back due to their sense of duties. Though as expected, in Suoh's case, that word barely meant anything. With the lack of patience and control characteristic to him, he didn't bother with dilly-dallying for long and went in straight for the hunt.

Soon, it became a chase, where Suoh constantly pester Munakata, asking him out for dates or slipping in flirty lines here and there in the fights between the two clans. Furthermore, Suoh didn’t have any sense of shame, as from what Awashima and Kusanagi mentioned, he outrightly does the said above actions without any consideration of the current time and location. Be it in the presence of the Silver King in the privacy of their University dorm room, who just laughed cheerily, in the presence of Yata and Fushimi on the streets, the former turning as bright red as his hair while the latter rolled his eyes with a sigh of exasperation, or in the presence of an entire clan in their respective HQs, sliver, red and blue. However, whether Suoh did it while they were alone, that’s something only Munakata or Suoh himself can confirm, but Munakata was almost certain that it wasn’t an exception to Suoh.

The two blondes, especially Kusanagi, could also confirm that Suoh was extremely determined to get what he wanted and when he did, accordingly to the bartender, he was so delighted, to the point where Anna, a shy strain girl with snow-white hair who looked up from the corner of the room and gave Munakata a gaze that was far too wise for her age, couldn’t stop smiling around him and HOMRA couldn’t help but feel a little freaked out, for the lack of a better description.

On the bright side, Suoh was also more conscious of his health and the state of his sword of Damocles, so whenever they fought, he held himself back and didn’t use as much aura as he would usually. Munakata was well aware by now of the consequences of overusing your aura, a deadly phenomenon known as a Damocles down would occur.

Around this timing, another blonde man that Munakata has not been acquainted with yet joined the conversation. He had an atmosphere of cheer and optimism and introduced himself as Totsuka Tatara. He also pointed _King_ , that was how he addresses Suoh, had also cut down on drinking and smoking, with a tone of pure contentment.

According to them, Munakata had put up a good fight, denying Suoh time and time again, refusing his advances until to the point where he gave in, both to Suoh and his own feelings. At this point, Awashima strongly emphasised and clarified that she was extremely pleased that her Captain was able to finally fulfil the duties he should have towards himself, that he also had a right to search for his own happiness and should not view that as a violation of his duties as King. Additionally, she felt that it was necessary to mention that Munakata not only seemed to be a lighter mood most of the time but also did his work more efficiently.

Just like any other relationship, theirs being no exception to the rule, where there was joy, there was also sadness, but in their case, translated to mostly frustration and anger. Whenever they had an argument, it seemed apparent that one of them would choose to walk out, majority of it being Suoh, proven by just that night a few weeks ago when Munakata first returned to the apartment, in fear of it becoming too explosive and destruction in consideration to the ease of access they had to their Auras. Suoh often retreated to Bar HOMRA, where they were currently at, and showed up moody and frustrated until he cooled off sufficiently to return to their apartment. In the few times where Munakata was the one who chose to walk away, his dorm room in Tsubaki-mon was his choice of retreat. However, unlike Suoh, it was seldom that he encountered anyone while when back in the dorm, only spotted rarely by Awashima or Fushimi late at night when he was making the trip to his room.

After thanking the three for their time, Munakata made his way back to the apartment, during which he quickly collected and sorted out his thoughts while passing through a quiet park.

He instantly was able to make the links between the details he was given and the circumstances he knew of that fateful night. He was almost positive that he and Suoh had a fight that particular evening, which had led to Munakata wishing for something, which then he chose to walk away from in order to retire at Tsubaki-Mon, solving the mystery why he was in his dorm room that night. Then the fight occurred and the strain struck. Even with the overlaps and links made clear, it wasn't enough. He needed more information. 

And from what he was made aware from multiple people, it became painfully obvious that Suoh and he both kept specific details about their relationship between them and preferred not to confide in others about the more intimate details. This, therefore, equates to Munakata having no choice but to pry out the information out of Suoh even knowing how painful and difficult it would be for Suoh. The moment he came to this conclusion, it suddenly became difficult for him to breathe as his chest tightened up and his throat closed up.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter wew wew~ Thank you to my readers who have been keeping up with me for this story and know that I really appreciate you <3   
> This chapter may contain mundane things but I felt it necessary to clarify and bring things up from Suoh's point of view as well!

Contrary to popular belief, Suoh isn’t _that_ unobservant. Although he doesn’t deny that the number of naps he takes can’t be counted on one hand, it doesn’t equate to him being ignorant of his surroundings. He usually drifts in and out of consciousness, and even when he is asleep, he is considered a lighter sleeper than most. The determining factor for Suoh to shift from his comfortable slumbering position is often only a few rare things that he can actually be bothered about, which _can_ be counted on one hand instead.

Hence, when Munakata has been coming home later than usual, with a faint whiff of cigarette smoke and the lingering scent of alcohol, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where he has been, taking Munakata’s personality into consideration. The first time, the combination of scents was unfamiliar to Suoh, but the second time, it was distinct enough for Suoh to immediately recognise it as the scent of Bar HOMRA, a place where he has been to enough times to the point where traces of the scents were sufficient for him to instantly identify its origin.

With Munakata’s priorities made known to him, links were drawn and Suoh was confident enough to deduce that Munakata was trying to find out more information about their past relationship.

In the absence of him.

From other people and not him.

From _outsiders_.

Yet, taking into account how Suoh flared up that first night, he couldn’t exactly blame Munakata for wanting to avoid provoking him. Nevertheless, that didn't stop his heart from painfully squeezing within his chest and for his throat from sharply constricting.

Despite Suoh wanting no one else to be involved in their relationship, he himself wasn’t yet ready to face reality and give away the information Munakata was searching for. He wasn’t prepared to poke at and reopen old wounds, to remind himself intimately of what went on before them, to remember so distinctly the feelings that were shared between them and know that, with the current Munakata, he could never hope to achieve them.

Yes, while he was aware that there is a chance for Munakata to be able to regain his memories one day, he couldn’t discard and ignore the fear that was gnawing away at him. What if Munakata’s wish was never be granted? In that case, what if the strain’s ability never wears out even if she was no longer here?  What if Munakata will never love him the same way again?

His brows unconsciously knitted together under his forearm that was placed over his eyes, blocking out the harsh sunlight that came to greet him once more. He wasn’t used to sleeping in the large King-sized bed by himself. The lack of presence was too prominent and resulted in him having restless nights, even being well aware that the one person he so desperately yearned for was but a room away. He never was able to sleep as soundly as whenever he had Munakata by his side, whether they were snug against each other, whether their backs were against each other or that one was spooning the other. All of them involved that soothing and tender body contact that Suoh wanted and missed.

* * *

 

When Munakata arrived home late for the first time, Suoh was waiting up in the living room, staring blankly at the television, the only source of white noise in the otherwise quiet and lonely apartment. The jingle of keys jolted Suoh out of his daze and his attention immediately shifted and focused on the entrance of the living room, waiting expectantly for Munakata to walk in. When he did make his entrance though, it became prominent to Suoh that Munakata was exhausted and possibly a little tipsy in the slight sway he had while trudging into the room.

When Suoh approached Munakata, the distinctive scent of a bar hit his nostril, which Suoh wordlessly took note of, and grabbed Munakata’s toned yet slim arm, placing it over his shoulders to support Munakata to the guest bedroom. Munakata was about to open his mouth to spout out some refusals when his eyes met Suoh’s. His amethyst orbs widened in sudden realisation, of what Suoh wasn’t sure, before quickly darting away to look at the floor. He jerked his arm back and stuttered out some gibberish that Suoh did not catch, before scurrying away into the guest room. If there was one thing Suoh did catch though, it was Munakata’s face was flushing a bright red, almost comparable to that of Yata’s when he was trapped in a group of girls.

The next time Munakata came back late, Suoh was close to drifting off on the sofa in the silence of the living room when he was roused awake by the same familiar jingle of keys. When Munakata reached the entrance, his gaze was cast downwards, muttering out a greeting to Suoh before retreating to the guest room, allowing for the room to return to silence once more. Though the avoidance of eyes was similar in both cases, it was obvious this time around, it was tinted with awkwardness and almost guilt rather than embarrassment compared to the last round.

Suoh wasn’t adept at being tactful at all, never having a hint of that skill despite being around Totsuka and Kusanagi, both who matured into tactful, mindful and considerate individuals, for a long period of time. He was the headstrong one, the one who got things done, the one who did it first and would think later. There was a reason for it after all. Hence, he only had two choices, to speak up and chase after what the issue was or to keep silent and let it go. However, after taking just a short glance at Munakata’s face then, a frown that was shrouded in guilt and displeasure, the choice was obvious. He kept silent.

* * *

 

Munakata, fortunately, had the following two days off. He was incessantly troubled and stressed by the remainder of the conclusion he came to last night, having to coax the critical and missing details of the fight he had with Suoh that night from the other participant himself. Furthermore, during the restless night where he tossed and turned, he was suddenly hit with a realisation, was the wish time-sensitive? Would he still be able to grant the wish in five years’ time? Or in a year’s time? Or even within just this month? The uncertainty in answer with no possible estimation struck panic in Munakata. How much time did he have left? Was there even still a possibility of granting his wish? Was it possible for him to still achieve it? Was there still a point in chasing after it?

With all these doubts clouding up his mind, he finally decided to leave the guest room to go about his daily routine and to meanwhile consider his options. With him so caught up in his thoughts, he only just barely realised that Suoh was awake and cooking breakfast in the kitchen before bumping into the man himself. Jolted out of his mind, Munakata took a few owlish blinks before processing that Suoh was awake _before_ him and was making him _breakfast_.

“Isn’t someone an early bird today?”

“Hn. How do ya want your eggs? French scrambled like usual?”

It was a thoughtless question but the implication it held behind was heavy, something that Suoh only realised after finishing the sentence. Munakata's usual no longer was the same as Suoh's usual.

“Sure. I’m certain that I would enjoy it if it was cooked _well_.” Without missing a beat, an underlying tone of challenge was spoken and accompanied by a smug look, levitating the sombre moment into a light-hearted one.

While Munakata was aware of what he spoke, the intention behind it was not from a conscious effort. It felt natural to Munakata to have a playful banter with Suoh, something that he logically could not understand but still did it because it both amused and pleased him.

Suoh looked momentarily taken aback but soon regained his composure and let out a confident huff before replying in his usual arrogant tone,

“Who did ya think cooked for your posh and luxurious taste buds all this time, huh?”

* * *

 

Whenever Munakata spotted a chance, he attempted to bring the topic up to Suoh, but ended up in miserable failures. He had hoped to appeal to Suoh by using logical explanations but he should've known better. Suoh wasn't easily swayed by logic, merely because of the fact he couldn't be bothered to think.

During breakfast, Munakata had discovered that Suoh was actually concerned about the state he came home in last night and his attempt at comforting was to cook him breakfast. Initially, Munakata was slightly confused when he was suddenly and gruffly asked how was the breakfast and later on, meekly asked on how he was feeling compared to last night. It was then Munakata realised what Suoh had in mind, despite the vehemence in the denials Suoh had about him deciding to cook breakfast since he was awake anyway. Regardless of the awkwardness Suoh had when inquiring about his wellness, it left Munakata feeling warm and content, something he could not honestly remember feeling for quite a long time.  

Suoh, on the other hand, felt as awkward as he appeared to be, since his way of comfort usually consists of more straightforward methods, such as just hugging Munakata to sleep, or just sitting there and looking expectantly, indicating that he was there to listen if need be. However, the current Munakata was not only unfamiliar with Suoh’s way of doing things, but he was also not someone who Suoh could easily just go up and give a hug. Munakata would probably just stiffen up and things would end up worse. Hence, breakfast became the most likely candidate as an excuse to display his concern for Munakata without seeming overbearing. Even with the concern he felt, Suoh, who knew what Munakata was concerned by, was still not prepared to speak about it.

As a result, the moment Munakata decided to bring up discreetly about the argument, Suoh swiftly stood up and held up his plate, clearly wanting to avoid speaking about the topic.

“Ya done, right? C’mon. Let’s go wash up the plates. I wash, you dry.”

With such an obvious message given off, Munakata didn’t have the heart to continue prying even though he knew he needed to and continued to play along with what Suoh wanted.

As they carried out their assigned roles, the movements and carryovers were completely in sync, where the moment Suoh was done with a dish, Munakata’s hand was already waiting for it. Seeing as Suoh didn’t want to bring up the argument, Munakata decided that it was probably a good idea to first warm him up with mundane topics, such as what plans did he have for the day, what would he like for lunch or dinner, should they go grocery shopping soon, would Suoh like to join him in completing a puzzle. Suoh, being in the usual energy-saving mode he’s always in, gave one-word acknowledgements to Munakata, rarely saying more than he needed to, with the exception of him responding heatedly to emphasise on the importance of buying enough meat during grocery shopping.

* * *

 

As they went about their day, with Munakata checking his laptop here and there for work emails and Suoh lazing around the apartment, either watching television or just napping. Whenever Suoh was awake, Munakata tried to situate himself near Suoh to hold a conversation with him, starting off with more mundane observations he had before slipping into the targeted topic he had on his mind. However, Suoh caught on to Munakata’s slow drift in the taboo topic unusually quick and often chose to doze off such that he didn’t need to answer Munakata or to steer the topic away altogether.

Unfortunately for Munakata, Suoh seems to be familiar enough with what obsessions Munakata had such that the moment it was brought up, Munakata becomes distracted enough to blabber away like an excited child who was overly enthusiastic to share his passions. By then, Suoh would have a gentle smile on his face while listening to Munakata and by the time Munakata realised his mistake, Suoh would place his lukewarm and callous hand on Munakata’s head, patting him with a soft affection that a lover would only give to his partner. Munakata couldn’t help the blush and heat that rose up to his cheek when all he could feel was how dear he was to Suoh.

Later in the day, while Munakata was in the progress of completing his puzzle, the one Suoh bought for him, Suoh had quietly decided to join in. At this point, Suoh sliding under Munakata’s arms and onto his lap was such a norm that Munakata just allows for it to happen. From there, Suoh then manoeuvres such that his sideways vision would be framed with both of Munakata’s arms on the top and bottom and with Munakata's body heat radiating against the back of his shoulders. He decided to be productive and help Munakata out, where he observes at the blank spaces and puzzles pieces and accurately picks out which pieces and placed them where they needed to go, at a lethargic and relaxed pace. They continue in such a fashion till the point where Suoh’s eyelids grew heavy and not wanting torture himself needlessly, Suoh flipped a hundred and eighty degrees, such that now his back was facing the puzzle and his nose nuzzling into Munakata’s _yukata_. Unabashedly, he circled his arms around Munakata’s body, pulling himself further into the comforts of the Munakata’s reassuring scent and presence.

As he was about to doze off, Munakata had once again tried to converse with Suoh about their relationship. However, instead of bringing up the argument that night, he unexpectedly asked about how Suoh felt about and in their relationship, saying he wanted to hear from Suoh's point of view as well.

After the failed attempts today, Munakata finally accepted that no amount of coaxing was ever enough for stubborn-as-a-mule Suoh to ever talk about something so sensitive and he would only have the sole choice of waiting until Suoh spoke of his own accord. Munakata, who was known for being patient, was willing to wait until Suoh was ready to talk. As they always say, all things come to those who wait.

At a point where there seemed to be almost no hope that Suoh would reply, he spoke, in a hoarse and low voice, so soft that Munakata had almost missed it.

Beginning reluctantly, Suoh found himself slowly talking about a particular event he was fond of remembering and held close to his heart.

They had been playing in the snow one winter night when Munakata challenging Suoh to a snowball fight, provoking him endlessly until Suoh gave up and decided to give in to Munakata’s whims. Before long, they both lost themselves in the fight and laughed carefreely, almost like two children having their first experience in the snow. He loved the way the snow fell delicately onto Munakata’s dark locks, he loved how they didn’t have to hold themselves back when with one another and most of all, he loved that he was with Munakata. However, even the power of Kings wasn’t enough to stop them both from catching a cold the next morning. They ended up staying in bed together and cuddling, providing each other warmth and comfort to quickly beat down the illness. It didn't matter how uncomfortable or how inconvenient it was being ill, because being together made up for it.

Steadily and quietly, the robe of Munakata’s _yukata_ soon grew moist.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I'm moving a little too quickly butttttttttttttttt I want mikorei to happen :< Plus, I don't really want to keep dragging things on, I'm afraid of things getting too mundane lol anyways, enjoy the new chapter!

Suoh hasn’t slept that deeply and soundly in a while, not ever since that night they fought.

He blinked blearily, giving his eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness surrounding him in the dead of the night. While the room looked no different from how it usually looked, it was the presence next to him that jutted his mind fully awake. Munakata was lying next to him, soft midnight locks fall against his smooth cheeks, breathing calm and steady. Suoh stilled for a moment, mind running at miles per hours, trying to process what on earth was happening.

Munakata, sleeping, in his bed? What? His arms wrapped around Suoh’s waist, what why who how when what? Just what the hell was going on? 

Though confused internally, Suoh stared blankly at Munakata’s peaceful sleeping silhouette for a little more before letting out a sigh, _might as well take the chance while I can_ , and wrapped his arms around Munakata, breathing in his familiar scent, feeling his body relax immediately. Munakata, still asleep, tighten his hold around Suoh, burrowing his face into Suoh’s chest and his legs snaked around Suoh, almost as if trying to increase the amount of body contact as much as possible. It was only then when Suoh gently caressed his fingers against Munakata’s cheek, then did he discovered that it was cold to the touch. _Obviously still a body heater to him, huh. Sighs. Well, that’s fine, since he's in my arms again. Even if it’s just for a little while more._ Suoh smiled blissfully, before burying his face into Munakata’s hair and drifted off to sleep again.

* * *

 

The next time Suoh woke up, it was due to the jostling of limbs against his body. With his sight still blurred over with the reminiscent of sleep, it took a while for Suoh to realise that Munakata was trying to wiggle out of his embrace. Still half-asleep and bold as ever, Suoh tightened his grip around Munakata, dragging him flush against his chest once more, before muttering ‘sleep’. Munakata let out an indignant sound when he was pulled against his will, before going on to nag about the importance of having a fixed sleeping schedule and that he was due to wake up. Listening to Munakata’s never-ending nagging drone on, Suoh was close to dozing off again until he was rudely smacked on the head with a pillow. In confusion and dismay, his arms unknowingly loosened and Munakata swiftly took the chance to escape to the washroom, all the while murmuring under his breath about how crude and barbaric and idiotic Suoh was.

It was only when the tell-tale sounds and smells of breakfast wafted into the master bedroom, then was there enough motivation to coax Suoh to drag himself out of bed. Letting out a vocal and lazy yawn, his amber orbs glazed over and he rubbed the unruly mess on his head. It was then yesterday’s events wormed its way into his mind. 

He was just a little over _emotional_  yesterday, _nope not crying, just emotional_ , but how did he end up moving from sleeping on Munakata's lap on the tatami-covered platform to his bed in the master bedroom? He didn’t remember being woken up and asked to move back to bed, so did Munakata carried him? Was Munakata _even_ able to carry him? While he didn’t doubt Munakata’s strength, he was well aware that he wasn’t exactly light either.

He made his way sluggishly to the washroom and freshened himself up. Despite still being half-awake, he has to admit that he hasn’t had that good of a rest in quite some time and was honestly quite refreshed. And he knew clearly the reason why.

Joining Munakata at the dining room, it seemed that he was generous enough to cook his portion as well, having enough faith, misplaced or not Suoh didn't know, that Suoh was going to leave his bed to join him.

“How did ya know I was gonna wake up? “

“I didn’t, gut feeling, maybe?”

“Hmm. Thanks for the food. By the way, how did I get back to bed last night?”

“I carried you obviously. Even an earthquake couldn’t wake you. Just how comfortable is my lap?”

“Extremely, of course.”

Pink blossomed beautifully on Munakata’s cheeks, while Suoh barely kept a smirk off his content face.

“Hmph. Only an idiot would indulgent and thick-skinned enough to sleep on a _King’s_ lap. Be grateful, you ingrate.”

“Hehh. But you didn’t push me off, did you? You didn’t even leave me be. You know I sleep anywhere and everywhere. Still brought me to bed too. Aren’t cha just the sweetest?”

That smirk on Suoh’s face only grew cockier, especially when the intensity of Munakata’s blush shot up exponentially, shattering the Blue King’s composure.

“Wha- Excuse you. Is that how you should be thanking someone who took the trouble to bring you back to your bed? Additionally, a selfish _someone_ didn’t want to let go of me, dragging me into bed with them with an iron grip, what a troublesome person he was.”

“But didn’t you sleep great too? Having a body heater right next to you?”

“Actually, on the contrary, it was too high of a temperature to the point where I was uncomfortable.”

“That’s not what your limbs were telling me last night.”

“…Just shut up, Suoh.”

“Hmm.”

With a satisfied hum, Suoh decided to let the now scarlet Munakata off the hook, for now. He wasn’t gonna forget that so easily. Munakata was adorable when he was embarrassed, after all. It was undeniably one of Suoh’s favourite pastime.

Munakata, on the hand, was not so amused. He was miffed, to put it lightly. How dare someone not only to not have proper manners to thank someone for going through the trouble of helping but to tease them as well? How impolite! Letting out an annoyed huff, Munakata concentrated on the eating the omelette in front of him and ignored the triumph and playful grin in front of him. He soon strayed to his own thoughts, some concerning his wish, some concerning work and those concerning the feelings he had towards the infuriating yet somehow endearing and handsome man in front of him.

For Munakata, as far as his memories went, he was knowledgable of what crushes were and what they felt like. He had a few back in school as a teenager, but they were usually short-lived and quickly wore out. It started out exciting, just like an infatuation, but before long, just like a firework, it quickly burned out and faded.

On the other hand, what he felt for Suoh was different, though there being overlaps. His heartbeats slightly quickened when Suoh was near, feelings of a slight thrill and gentle delight flooding his sense, together with the compulsion to be within close proximity of Suoh. It didn’t matter what they were doing, it didn’t even have to be together but just being in his presence made Munakata felt at home and safe, just like a fireplace on a cold wintery night.

Furthermore, after hearing Fushimi’s rambling paired with Suoh’s appearance that slotted into Munakata’s taste quite neatly, Munakata’s imagination couldn’t help but wonder. Lust wasn’t foreign to Munakata, but with Suoh, he didn’t want to just do the act, per se, but he also was curious, wanting to know how the afterglow was like. Was it just like last night, cocooned in an embrace that made him feel at ease?

Though Munakata swore that he would never let Suoh know of this information, he couldn’t deny that he found it highly agreeable and might just so be tempted to repeat it. Sure, Suoh was the one who didn’t let go of his arm, but after that bittersweet and clearly dear memory he shared, Munakata couldn’t bear to leave Suoh alone. He just didn’t have the heart to, so he decided that since Suoh was asleep, he was willing to indulge him, and himself, just once. Though Munakata was used to sleeping alone, that added warmth and security when sleeping next to Suoh had made his sleep that much more peaceful and gratifying.

Though Munakata initially doubted if what he felt for Suoh was real, as the days went by and the time he spent with Suoh increased, he had to admit that Suoh grew on him and was genuinely attracted, and possibly addicted, to Suoh. His mannerisms, his habits, his way of living, his voice, everything.

No doubt being aware that they were once in a relationship could have resulted in him subconsciously telling himself that he was _supposed_ to have feelings for this man, but now he was certain that what he felt was authentic and clear, not at all something muddled by the past, but was something that developed and cultivated as time went by in the present. It certainly didn’t happen overnight and he recognises it as something that wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. As soon as he met Suoh, the seed of attraction was planted and now, has matured to a point where he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

He wanted to be with Suoh and he didn’t want for this relationship to ever end, with or without his memories.

While coming to terms with his emotions, Suoh had voluntarily picked up his dishes and left to wash them, without Munakata noticing. As Munakata sat at the now empty table still fiddling with his feelings, a sense of fulfilment washed over him, making his heart feel full.

_Ah, I wouldn’t mind going through this every day, waking up and eating breakfast with Suoh. Having a casual, cheeky banter over freshly cooked food, even with the inevitable teasing that probably comes with it. I may have already fallen further than I expected._

_Even if I have come in terms with my feelings, I have not yet considered Suoh's side of the situation. He says he loves me, but what if he didn’t move on? What if what he loves is the past me, the one with memories, and not the current me? What would I do then? Do I want a love that isn’t entirely targeted towards the me now?_

“Hey. Whatchu thinkin’ bout? Thinking too hard in the morning is gonna spoil your brain, ya know?”

_Sighs. Have I really become that soft now? That I am willing to put up with this? I guess maybe that’s what love does._

“Suoh. May I ask you a question?”

“Shoot away. Not like ya wouldn’t ask anyway, even if I said no.”

“Answer me honestly. Don’t think too much about it. It’s going to harm what remaining brain cells you still have.”

“Thanks for the leap of faith.”

“When you told me that you were going to ‘seduce’ me back, what made you decide on that?”

“Huh? I thought someone as smart as you would’ve figured it out. Cause I love you. Duh.”

“Ahem, right.” The straightforward nature of Suoh always threw some part of Munakata off.

“You say that, but who do you love? The past me with memories, or the current me without any memories?”

“Munakata.”

“Yes?”

“You’re quite dumb, aren’t cha?”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re still you. Why would you having part of your memories gone make you any different? I like you, with or without the memories. You still nag at me, you are still as pish posh as ever, you still love puzzles, you still love your tea ceremonies, you still work as hard, you’re still you. And I love _you_. So that’s why I’m still gonna chase you till you’re back by my side. That’s all the reason I need.”

Suoh couldn’t help but huff in exasperation as Munakata’s cheeks flared up. And they always made Munakata out to be the intelligent one. Pfft.

Amusement and endearment swelled within Suoh as he stared straight unwaveringly into Munakata’s wide lilac eyes, eyes softening as he observed Munakata trying to process what he just told him.

Munakata, on the other hand, while bewildered beyond belief, couldn’t believe that the answer behind it could be so clear-cut and simple. He was used to solving abstract problems all his life and he just wasn’t used to the solution being so _uncomplicated_ , and yet Suoh somehow manages to convince Munakata to believe in it so wholeheartedly.

_I guess that's the answer to my question. Maybe sometimes the most honest and direct answers are the most powerful._

“ _Nee_ , Suoh. What if I told you that I want to have a relationship with you again? I do sincerely reciprocate what you feel for me. However, are you able to trust me on this? That my feelings are definitely real.”

“What? Sorry, what? When did you realise this? When did all these happen?”

“It just unconsciously occurred. I have taken it into consideration while both at work and around the apartment, but I came to terms with it not long ago. I did take it into account, you know. The words you said the day we came back to this apartment.”

“But, how do you know it’s not, ya know, made up? I mean, being told you were previously in a relationship with me, makes you think of and feel strange things, right?”

“Then let me ask you. How can I convince you that what I’m feeling is real then? I know for a fact that I have unyielding feelings for you and that I firmly want to be with you, not because we used to have a relationship, but because I enjoy being with you. I want to be with you, not because of the fact that I know that you were my lover before, but because you’re Suoh Mikoto. Just like what you told me. It doesn't matter whether you were my lover or enemy before. You're the one I yearn to be with. Besides, I’m still me, right? Then just how crazy would it be for me to still fall in love with you once more?”

By then, the roles have been switched, with Suoh being unable to stop the heat from rising to his face and to meet the sincerity and intensity in Munakata’s blazing violet orbs. Suoh rubbed the back of his hair, a habit he always had when shy or embarrassed, but his face glowed with happiness.

“…Guess not, huh?”

“I'm glad that I was able to convey to you my feelings on this."

Munakata then reached across and grasped Suoh's warm hands within his own slender ones, giving Suoh a serene smile before turning serious and continuing.

"Additionally, there’s something else I would like to bring up for discussion as well. Seeing as how I am coping well with the duties of the blue king together with being able to develop feelings for you once more, I really am quite satisfied with how my life currently is. However, it has come to my notice that the wish may be unfortunately time sensitive, with absolutely no possible estimation for the time left, if any, to grant this wish. Furthermore, when I see you hurt and clam up whether I try to bring up the topic, it honestly upsets me seeing you so distressed.”

“Go on.”

“And, taking into consideration of our circumstances, what do you think about starting anew? In other words, we focus on the present and cease trying to regain my memories?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guysss, here's a slighter longer chapter for the delay! I have been searching around for a part time job, so I wasn't able to spare as much time as I would like writing this story! Anyways, please enjoy the story!

To say Suoh was conflicted, was an understatement. First, he finds out that Munakata reciprocated his feeling which was most definitely a pleasant surprise, though one that he wasn’t expecting so quickly. But second, them giving up on finding Munakata’s memories altogether? As far as Suoh was aware, Munakata wasn’t one to give up so easily, so how was he so easily able to let go? Sure, things have somewhat returned to how it was previously, with Munakata quickly picking up on how to handle the Blue King’s duties and aura, together with re-entering a relationship with Suoh.

The only difference would be that Munakata wouldn’t remember the times they had before, good _and_ bad. While he couldn’t deny that being the only one who remembered the precious memories they had from before was lonely, but being the only one who remembered the fallouts they had had its advantages too. He now was more aware of certain pitfalls to avoid and how to manage their issues better.

Even so, the final deciding factor for Suoh to agree with Munakata was what the latter had so blatantly said that night.

‘ _I don’t want this anymore’._

Then maybe, it was indeed a better idea to give up on recovering his memories. Especially since recovering it may cause Suoh to lose Munakata for good, something he didn't think he could handle for real a third time. 

As for the person losing part of his memories, Munakata honestly didn’t really have much of an issue of letting it go, considering one, he was catching on to the needs of his job quickly, so it wasn’t too much of an issue there. Two, he fell back in love with Suoh, or rather _Mikoto_ , again, and that definitely wasn’t something to complain about, and three, sure he lost part of his memories but isn’t it fine to just make them again? Another discouraging factor was the uncertainty shrouding the loss of his memories, how and by when must he grant them, things that only the past him would have known and any hints or clues that might have helped were only known by one person who was too hurt to talk about it. He, therefore, concluded that he probably wasn’t losing too much and the distress on his lover’s face just wasn’t worth it.

With this settled and out of the way, Munakata and Suoh slowly readjusted themselves, the former cautiously testing the waters with what level of comfort and intimacy he could handle with Suoh and Suoh observing and reacting accordingly. Although it was slightly awkward finding their own way around each other again, but it was nonetheless sweet.

* * *

 

With their groceries running low and their stomach soon getting empty, they decided on having lunch outside and getting groceries after that. With a relatively peaceful lunch at a steakhouse, obviously Suoh’s choice, they soon headed off to a nearby supermarket. While both of them weren’t elaborate cooks, they were at least sufficiently well versed enough to cook simple yet nutritional and well-balanced meals, that should include a carbohydrate, a protein and a vegetable/fruit component.  Though Suoh was aware of this, he wasn’t too concerned with getting a well-balanced meal but was more concerned with getting a delicious meal, consisting of what he liked to eat, which needless to say, was meat. However, living with Munakata has persuaded him to try to cook a more balanced meal, at least for his partner's sake, and include the above components, but the fraction of protein always did seem to be larger in comparison to the rest.

Having a person to want to spend his life with made Suoh take more precautions with his lifestyle. He has already cut down both smoking and drinking to a large extent, though he couldn’t deny a drink or two occasionally with Kusanagi. Nowadays, Suoh could go weeks without smoking, though he couldn’t deny the initial withdrawal was torturous. The number of flare-ups he had dramatically increased, his fuse, which was already short before, became even shorter and he was constantly in a bad mood, with the temptation to smoke initially too overwhelming for him to bare. While he did give in to the temptation on occasions, the number of cigarettes he took per day slowly diminished, to this point where he didn’t really was tempted by cigarettes anymore.

At the supermarket, the pair took a shopping cart, both already clear that the number of items they needed to purchase wasn’t going to be little. The cold air rushed to greet them as the glass doors slid open, welcoming them into the cool refreshing interior of the supermarket. With it being currently mid-day meant that there were few present and most of the aisles were largely empty and allowed for the couple to transit around easily with their cart.

They stopped by the vegetables and fruits section first, where Munakata carefully chose the freshest produce, while Suoh aimlessly looked around, having barely interest in vegetables, being the carnivore he was. While Munakata wasn’t the most experienced in cooking, he did occasionally follow his mother to the market and pick up signs that the vegetables should have for them to be fresh. As Munakata browsed through the variety of produce available, Suoh was left in charge of the cart, following Munkata dutifully and watched as the cart slowly filled up with a variety of items. Only after Munakata was _finally_ satisfied, then did they move on to the poultry section, which perked Suoh right up.

Here, Suoh was significantly more active in choosing which meat they should buy as well as the amount. Swiftly, the meat took up nearly twice the space the vegetables and fruits combined. Though Suoh wasn’t vocal about his wants, the air and stare he gave off to the specific pieces of meats he wanted was intense enough that it appeared almost menacing to the old ladies that happened to be the same aisle, resulting in Munakata quickly giving in and transferring it into their cart. He didn't want the poor old ladies to be frightened away from their usual supermarket after all. Munakata couldn’t stop the sigh of fond exasperation as he kept gave in to the whims of Suoh, knowing that though it may seem like a lot, Suoh won’t let any go to waste. After picking out some seafood, they finally headed to the cashier and paid for their purchases.

With the amount of meat in the cart, the final price shouldn’t really be that big of a shock to Munakata, but he still felt surprised at how much things could quickly add up to be. Fortunately, his salary was more than ample to cover their living costs and still indulge Suoh and himself on occasions. They initially split the bags evenly, but Suoh stubbornly snatched a few more bags from Munakata, such that he ended up carrying about sixty percent of the groceries. Suoh wasn’t looking down on Munakata’s strength, _he would never_ , but he just wanted to dote on Munakata here and there by doing things for him, even if they were the smallest and most insignificant things.

* * *

 

On their way back, a spectacle shop caught Munakata’s eye. He immediately requested for Suoh to wait for him while he browsed through the wide and fascinating spectrum of spectacles frames. Leaving no room for argument, Munakata swiftly and eagerly stepped into the store and soon became absorbed in the types of frames they had in the store. Suoh stared in wonder and disbelief at how his boyfriend, a twenty-four-year-old man _and_ the Blue King, could be so wonderstruck by mere spectacle frames, almost like a child stepping into a colourful and extensive candy store.

Despite the sudden distraction, it turned out that it worked out in Suoh's favour. Once he made sure his boyfriend was thoroughly preoccupied with the frames, he made his way briskly to a nearby store. Unbeknownst to Munakata, this was Munakata’s favourite tea store, where he usually visits to purchase his tea leaves. However, due to the loss of his memories, Munakata only enjoyed the tea leaves they had at home and has not yet discovered this store.

The store recently introduced a new type of tea leaf that Suoh believed would suit Munakata’s taste. Suoh opted to purchase a customisable collection of tea leaves where they gave small cans for one to sample to find out which they liked best, and Suoh personally and thoughtfully, or as thoughtful as Suoh would ever be, chose each of the flavours, including the newly introduced leaves. He ordered it a while back when he was out and about, coming across by the new addition by pure accident. Out of both the want to fawn over and to seduce Munakata back then, he ordered the set beforehand and found out just two days ago the set was ready for collection. Now, the mere idea of giving a pleasant surprise to his lover unconsciously brought a gentle smile to his face and his eyes softened.

Once he collected the set, he made his way back, finding Munakata just about done with his browsing and starting to head out of the store. Munakata noticed the extra bag Suoh was holding almost immediately and stare curiously at it, no doubt spotting the word ‘tea’ somewhere on the exterior of the bag. Suoh kept the bag out of reach of Munakata and simply smirked at Munakata, asking him to be patient till they reached home.

* * *

 

Munakata was very subtly jittering with anticipation by the time they arrived home but it was obvious enough for Suoh, who was too used to the many sides of Munakata that was only showed to a selected few. Suoh couldn’t hold back the feeling of smugness and affection as he saw how much Munakata was looking forward to what Suoh was going to give him. They promptly unpacked their groceries, allowing Munakata to take his mind off the tea for a short while and concentrate on sorting the produce and packing them in their assigned locations. After they were done, they were slightly sweaty, from both the exertion from carrying the bags, the walk back home and the hasty unpacking, leading to them taking swift showers in the two separate bathrooms in the apartment.

Only when Munakata was washed up and refreshed, then did Suoh finally concede and handed Munakata the box, while suggesting for them to have some tea together. Once Munakata agreed enthusiastically and with both of them settled down on the tatami mats, Munakata efficiently and almost impatiently unpacked the box, revealing fifteen colourfully labelled cans in the neatly arranged box. On each can, it stated what type of tea leaves were contained, the aroma it gave when brewed and what effects it brought upon the body. Munakata could only stare obtusely at the box, taking some time to fully process what was going on, before he carefully settled the package down and leapt suddenly at Suoh to give him a very unexpected hug. Suoh’s reflexes were usually quick, but with a warm bath and the tenderness he felt while looking at Munakata, he wasn’t ready to catch Munakata in a hug and they ended up flat on the floor. Suoh was now below staring blankly at the ceiling, listening to Munakata whisper words of gratitude while nuzzling his neck just like a cat. Though it was rare for Munakata to ever lose composure, in this case, imagining his _lover_ taking his lazy bum out and taking the effort to  _personally handpick_  the tea leaves for him had him touched, overwhelmed with happiness and he couldn’t stop himself from jumping onto Suoh. After Suoh was done being stunned by the outward affection, he patted Munakata’s head lovingly, his other arm snaking around Munakata’s form, eyes closing and enjoyed the moment.

When Munakata eventually got up, he embarrassingly muttered out an ‘I apologise for the unsightly behaviour’ with a bright scarlet and excitedly got to work, preparing tea for both himself and Suoh, while shyly avoiding looking at Suoh's face. Suoh watched the graceful movements with a peaceful expression, content with the current arrangement they had agreed upon. They had a relaxed evening, sipping tea and completing yet another puzzle that Munakata managed to dig up from his collection. However, there was a small part of Suoh that nagged away at him, though he mindlessly dismissed it aside.

* * *

 

With the two days of rest quickly over, Munakata was unmercifully swept back into work, with barely any time to catch his breath. Documents were piling up on his desk, waiting for his approval, his subordinates bombarding him for his confirmations or with suggestions for certain cases they were handling. Furthermore, Jungle, an online network application, was currently stirring up more trouble than he could look past.

Jungle worked by having players join a ‘game’ where real life missions were announced. By completing such missions, players were able to accumulate points and raise in their ranks. The ranking follows the application’s name, where E is the lowest and J the highest. From Fushimi’s report, it is suspected that the application is affiliated to and made by the Fifth and Green King, Hisui Nagare. It has been said that by raising your ranks, powers, similar to those of clansmen but only temporary, will be given to the players and by reaching the highest rank, J rank, the player will officially become a clansman of the Green King. Although there isn’t solid evidence yet, the green electric power captured on footage used by multiple people, suggests that it wasn’t a mere coincidence that such a large number of people had the same power, cancelling out the possibilities of all being strains, and considering that all of them were players of the Jungle application.

Despite being Kings, Munakata has not yet met Hisui personally and have only heard through the grapevine about him. Apparently, many years ago, he had once launched an attack on the Second and Gold King, Kokujōji Daikaku, but it had ultimately ended in failure. The reason for the attack was not made known to him. By just being aware that of Hisui’s position, Munakata was cautious when handling the case, because one could not simply take a King lightly.

While he was concerned with Jungle’s case, he had other matters to attend to, and left the investigation work to Fushimi, requesting and expecting updates whenever Fushimi found out new information.

Even with the hectic schedule, Munakata still made the effort to return to the apartment, which was fortunately close in distance. Furthermore, returning to the apartment, to be with Suoh, always made him feel calmer and relaxed, no matter how worn out he was. He was still slowly getting used to sleeping with Suoh back in the master bedroom. Usually, both of them went to sleep at their ends on the bed, with their backs to each other, but throughout the night, they usually unconsciously wound up around one another, one seeking comfort, the other seeking warmth. Though embarrassing for Munakata, these nights were undeniably where he slept extremely well, waking refreshed and mind clear.

Suoh was usually at Bar HOMRA during Munakata’s working hours, keeping up with the situation with Jungle as well, as there were some Jungle players that were lurking around their territory. According to Kusanagi, Suoh was aware that Jungle was extremely widespread in terms of participants but most of them were regular citizens that should not be an issue to HOMRA’s members. However, as a precaution, he warned his clansmen to not hurt the Jungle members with the Red aura and try to take them out without burning them to a crisp. Ever since Suoh got together with Munakata, not only did he cut down on his unhealthy habits, but he also was less reckless with his aura, with the massive and enthusiastic approval from both Kusanagi and Totsuka, glad that he was able to at least slow down the deterioration of his Damocles sword, even without being able to restore it. As such, the rest of the clan’s members were warned against using the red aura unnecessarily and recklessly, all who readily agreed, concerned with their King’s safety and wanting to keep their family intact and healthy. From then, his sword had but a few minor cracks marring its smooth surface, with a strong glow from the orb that was bright and lively.  

When it reached the early evening, Suoh usually headed back to his apartment, to prepare ahead for dinner. On occasions, Anna would ask for Suoh to bring her along back to the apartment, for she wanted to see how Reisi was doing. With a soft spot for her, Suoh could never reject her. As a result, Munakata sometimes came home to a livelier home, where Anna and Suoh were holding a relatively relaxed conversation about the most mundane things. When Munakata came home, Anna brightened up and padded over to him, asking him with her dazzling red orbs how was his day. Despite Anna saying things that were wiser beyond her age, deep down, she was still an innocent and kind eleven-year-old.

Munakata couldn’t deny that he liked having his day end like this too. They would have dinner together, with Anna and Munakata holding a conversation with Suoh listening in, periodically sliding in his input and thoughts. The apartment would feel exceptionally cosy and warmth on those nights. If it got too late, Anna usually took the guest room for the night and Suoh would escort her back safely the next morning.

The days went on peacefully, until the night when Jungle attack the Mihashira tower, setting things into motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, ROK events are gonna happen! :) Btw, this image popped up while I was writing about the grocery shopping trip and I wanna share it with you guys! Its so cuteeeeee  
> https://wintertranslations.tumblr.com/image/83848961341


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry that I'm not able to update as frequently as before, as I recently just got a job, meaning I'll be quite busy. Even so, I won't give up on this story. I will finish it, so please wait patiently! I have actually already written out the plot for the ROK part already, but just this part ended up quite long, so I'm deciding to split it into two chapters. Enjoy this chapter!

Anna was staying overnight at the apartment when the attack happened.

A sudden PDA’s shrill ring jerked awake both of the occupants in the master bedroom. Seeing that it was Munakata’s, Suoh quickly turned his back onto the PDA and headed off back to sleep. When Munakata picked up, his body posture straightened up and soon, he hastily dressed himself while issuing orders on the phone. Scepter 4 was alerted to an unexpected invasion of the Gold King’s territory, Mihashira tower, where the Dresden Slate is kept and protected.  The Second and Gold King, Daikaku Kokujōji, oversaw the control of the power given out by the Slates such that only a selected few could be Kings. He managed the flow of power given out by the Slates and have been doing so for many years. However, recently, his old age has been causing issues with his health, no longer being as strong and fit as he used to. As such, when the attack was alerted to Scepter 4, it was a major concern.

Munakata quickly prepared himself and headed off immediately to Mihashira Tower, where his team were told to assemble at, leaving Suoh and Anna in the quiet, dark apartment. By the time of his arrival, the vans were set up, with the team being briefed. Once caught up to the situation at hand, Munakata swiftly and confidently gave out orders, dispatching the appropriate team into the tower to inspect the damage, as well as to search for any casualties, victims or the culprit. Fushimi stayed in one of the vans, observing the state of the tower from his laptop. It turns out that the attackers didn’t manage to reach the levels with the Dresden Slate with the strong defence of the Golden Rabbits, but still managed a good two-thirds.  It was a worrying sign, as the ones sent by the culprit were mere rank Ns and Gs and not one of the two higher ranked members were sent. In the case that they were to send stronger members, it would be of extremely high danger as the Gold King is in no state to take them on personally.

Furthermore, something else that Munakata noted was that the members didn’t go all out. Sure, some left with bruises here and there, but none of them were severely injured. It almost seemed like the Green Clan was testing the waters, getting a gauge of the strength they required to take down Mihashira Tower. As to why they aim to do so, it remained a mystery to Munakata. Scepter 4 efficiently cooperated with the Rabbits to restore the security of Mihashira, with some added security installed as a precaution, courtesy of Fushimi, which some would aid in defence and some to alert Scepter 4 and Munakata immediately in the case of an attack.

Once the key operations are done, Munakata headed back to Tsubaki-Mon with the rest of the team, while he discussed the attack with Awashima and Fushimi.

* * *

 

Suoh woke up to an empty and cold bed, something that he hasn’t experienced in a while, causing a slight panic to stir within his chest. _Where did Munakata go? Did Munakata leave him?_   With the questions swirling in his sleep-hazed mind, he didn’t notice the door opening and quiet footsteps towards him, until Anna spoke.

“Reisi left in the middle of the night. There was an emergency. He is safe. Do not worry.”

Suoh’s eyes snapped towards the girl, who was now sitting next to him on the bed, with her hands gently placed over Suoh’s left arm. Her knowing eyes were gentle and a barely noticeable smile graced her lips. She was still in her Lion onesie that Totsuka got for her and wore to bed last night. Once Suoh’s brain finally caught up and remembered the phone call that woke him up last night, he visibly relaxed and pat Anna on the head.

“Yeah. Thanks, Anna. Let’s go wash up.”

Anna’s smile grew a little wider at Suoh’s words and scrambled off the bed, heading to the bathroom to wash up, with Suoh doing the same.

Once refreshed, Suoh quickly made them a simple breakfast, ensuring Anna was well fed as a growing and maturing girl and walked her back to Bar HOMRA, where Kusanagi was already behind the counter cleaning up. Suddenly, Anna gripped Suoh’s sleeve and pulled him down, whispering softly into his ears.

“Be careful, Mikoto. Reisi should too.”

Before Suoh understood the cryptic message, Anna let go and trotted over to Kusanagi, greeting him a good morning. All could do Suoh was stare and go ‘huh.’. He always knew these messages from Anna was never meant to be hard to decipher, but the strain could only convey the messages in such a way her power had let her feel. As such, Suoh could only follow Anna’s words and hope for the best.

* * *

 

A week passed without any incident, though Scepter 4 remained on high alert despite their usual heavy workload. A sudden letter was delivered to Munakata at his office, requesting for his presence at the Prime Minister’s office. Though Munakata never liked that man, he wasn’t the most pleasant of people, his position was still unfortunately important enough that Munakata had to civilly cooperate, though slight manipulation wasn't out of the equation. He was well aware that Prime Minister Samukawa was displeased at how actual little power he held compared to the Kings, which sometimes put Munakata on the edge, cautious of possible disloyalty.

Being perceptive meant that Munakata often realises things that most people don’t, which also led to him having an idea of what was going to be discussed in the office. But that didn’t prepare him for the surprise to see Suoh yawning languidly in the office, sending him a quick glance, before asking the prime minister to hurry up. Munakata didn’t miss the dirty look that the man sent to Suoh’s direction. Next to the fiery-haired man in the office, there was another silver-haired young man in the office, who seemed no older than a high school student. He had a cheerful grin and yet his gaze revealed more than he should know at that age. Once brief introductions were made, Prime Minister Samukawa quickly started and got straight down to business.

As suspected, Munakata had hit the nail on the head. The Gold King's health has deteriorated quickly over the past week and in preparation for it, he had a formal document crafted, stating that should he be no longer able to guard the Dresden Slate, the Blue King, Munakata Reisi was to take over the responsibility. It turned out that the Gold King had succumbed just earlier this morning and that this document was to take effect immediately. Munakata readily accepted the duty, having already mentally prepared himself, and once the official documents were settled, headed straight to Mihashira tower to begin his newly assigned duty.

While this discussion occurred, Suoh stood at the side, quietly observing and as the news revealed itself, an increasing apprehensive gnawed away at Suoh. Despite his gut telling him that he should stop Munakata, he logically knew that out of all the available Kings, Munakata was the most suitable and therefore the most rational choice for the Gold King to have made. Though not entirely sure why he and the Silver King, someone he just was introduced to, were summoned to the office, he suspected that it was just a formality, where whichever King was to available and contactable to the government was to be present to witness and be aware of the current arrangement. Furthermore, it seemed that the Silver King was present with the Gold King when he finally passed on and was the one who brought all the documents to the Prime Minister.

Suoh casually waved and left the room, not wanting to spend any more time than needed with that man. Something about him just felt off to Suoh and he didn’t trust him. Suoh headed off to the bar, planning to update Kusanagi with the news.

* * *

 

Once at the tower, Munakata strolled in majestically, nodding to the rabbits in acknowledgement and took the lift up to the floor with the Slates. Once stepping out, Munakata could immediately feel the pull and push of the power in the Slates, responding with the Aura within him as well as trying to escape what remaining hold left that the Gold King had placed over it. However, with the Gold King no longer present, the force at which the powers were trying to escape with was significantly stronger and more rebellious. Munakata knelt on the glass floor, placing his palms on the cool surface, closing his eyes and concentrated on using his own Aura to put a cap over the power.

Being unfamiliar with the control made it a much more difficult task to Munakata and with his instinct telling him that his Aura wasn’t meant to be doing such a job, it resulted in a particularly strenuous task for the Blue King. Even so, his determination was not to be trifled with, and he forcibly used his power to encapsulate the powers within the slate. With the power once again contained, Munakata breathed a sigh of relief, sweat rolled down his temple and his breathing had quickened without him noticing. Though the power was now kept within its boundary, Munakata could feel that it was only temporary and that the force of his aura will be quickly overpowered once again and so made up his mind to come back tomorrow to check on the Slate. After taking a short break, Munakata pulled himself together and headed back to Tsubaki-Mon. There was always work waiting for him after all.

Unfortunately, Munakata’s estimation was right. By the following day, the Slate’s power was slipping through his aura that he used to contain them and was slowly increasing in strength. Munakata once again repeated the procedure like yesterday, willing the power to stay confined and to obey his command. With less difficulty than yesterday, Munakata completed his job, though still equally strenuous on him. Just like yesterday, Munakata headed back to Tsubaki-Mon once rested and the cycle repeated itself every day. Thankfully, Munakata was becoming increasingly familiar with containing the power, though it never got easier.

However, there were a few cases where a Strain appeared in hopes of attacking Munakata, either while he was deep in concentration or after he was done with the Slate and tired out. The ones that made it up to the Slates often were Strains that were able to conceal themselves easily, being able to avoid detection from the Rabbits, but not from Munakata. For those who chose to attack after Munakata was done, usually hid in alleys, waiting to strike. However, as King, Munakata was easily able to knock them out to arrest them back to Tsubaki-Mon, but on those days, his usage of his aura increased and naturally, he became more exhausted than usual, taking a longer time to rest up before showing up at Tsubaki-Mon. It wouldn’t do for a King to show weakness to his Clansmen after all. Following those days, Munakata barely was able to finish up a late dinner with Suoh before making it to his bed and collapsing, falling immediately into a deep slumber.

Both Anna and Suoh became increasingly worried at Munakata’s state, though both knew that if they brought the subject up to Munakata, they would be simply brushed off and be assured that he would be fine. Following that, Munakata would probably end up hiding his fatigue from them, in hopes of not worrying them but would instead make them even more so. Hence, Suoh still did what he could to at least help take care of Munakata’s health, because Munakata was probably stubborn enough to neglect his health for his duties, doing things to the bare minimum to maintain his body, using “being a King” as a reason.

To add oil to fire, Jungle’s activities has been raising exponentially, becoming a significant cause of concern as more and more of the Clansmen of the red, blue and silver kings being targeted, adding even more work to Munakata’s already heavy responsibilities. Furthermore, with the number of missions increasing to the Jungle members, they became more active in causing trouble in Shizume city, some even involving strains. With the increased frequency at which his clansmen must act in order to restore order and peace, Munakata’s Weismann level rose dramatically during those occasions, taking into account his already higher than usual usage for his business at Mihashira tower.  

With his increasing workload and daily duty at Mihashira tower, the last time Munakata had a day off was that day when he and Suoh got together. Ever since then, Munakata barely had any time and energy to spend time with Suoh, besides sleeping, and he couldn’t deny that he missed Suoh. However, with the urgent matters at hand, he couldn’t afford to be selfish and worked every day, while still taking short breaks to piece his puzzles and have tea. He still had to take care of himself to a certain extent after all, if he wanted to last as long as possible since it wasn’t a sprint but most likely a marathon.

* * *

 

Suoh missed Munakata. All he wanted was to spend time with him again, like those two rest days. He would willingly put up with Munakata’s bitter tea or the boring and never-ending meaningless puzzles if only to spend some time with his lover again. He just wanted to bask in Munakata’s presence and be the only thing he had to concentrate on. Even with such desires, he wasn’t _that_ selfish to indulge his own wants before Munakata’s own duties.

As much as he was tempted to.

As a result, he often turned up at Bar HOMRA gloomy, though it didn’t show much on the exterior. Everyone, except Anna, Totsuka, Kusanagi and maybe Yata, assumed that Suoh was more tired than usual and told him to take care and rest up. Those who knew didn’t say anything about it to Suoh, since it was pointless, though they did try their best to engage Suoh in something that might help take his mind off Munakata, even for just a little while.

One particular evening, when Suoh was preparing to head home, Anna suddenly clutched at his sleeve tightly, eyes slightly glassy and ask if she could stay over as she had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Anna’s visits decreased in frequency, as she wanted to not only let Reisi rest but to also give as much alone time to Mikoto as much as possible. Suoh stiffened slightly at the request, worried of the possibilities that Anna could mean and agreed, hoping at least with him around, Munakata and Anna could be ensured safety at least. Though the number of Jungle members attacking HOMRA increased, most of his boys were strong enough in street fighting to take them down easily, although in some cases, usage of his aura was required. Even so, it was considered insignificant enough that Suoh’s sword didn’t worsen.

Munakata arrived back at the apartment in the same state that they had seen for the past few days, exhausted and barely hanging on. However, the moment he spotted Anna, he straightened his posture and smiled gently at the girl. It has been a while since they met and Munakata enjoyed her presence. They went about their usual routine for dinner, with Anna insisting on having a slightly later dinner so that she could eat with Reisi. With the abundant work weighing down on Munakata’s mind and his fatigue clear to them both, they decided that they were not going to mention Anna’s apprehension to Munakata, lest they make him worry any more than he needed to already.

As such, after finishing dinner and having a small chat, Anna suggested that they all head to bed and that _Reisi should be well rested so that he can carry out his duties well tomorrow_ , which Munakata gave in to and gratefully followed her suggestion.

* * *

 

In the quiet of the night, Anna suddenly jerked awake, breaths coming in and out frantically and her red eyes shone brightly with fear. She immediately reached out to the marbles she always kept by her, each one representing each of the HOMRA members. Though they may look the same to a mere outsider, each and every one of them were unique as the members themselves were to Anna. She quickly identified the source of her terror.

Totsuka Tatara’s marble was dimming, with its usual scarlet shine now a dull maroon, flashing weakly in Anna’s palm. Anna could no longer accurately pinpoint where his location was anymore, almost as if his existence was fading in and out of her sight.

With the marble clammed tightly in her hand, she shakily but swiftly made her way to the master bedroom. She opened the door cautiously, not wanting to wake Munakata up, knowing just how worn out he was and made her way to Suoh’s side of the bed. Despite her best efforts, Munakata’s eyes shot open, quickly scanning the room before falling onto Anna’s quivering form, relaxing slightly before turning into panicked ones.

“What’s wrong, Anna?”

“It’s... It's Tatara. I can o-only barely feel him. He’s in danger. What should we do, Reisi? ”

Despite her almost calm words, she became increasingly shaky as she spoke out and confirmed her own fears.

“Calm down, Anna. Breathe in and out slowly.”

“…”

“Now, could you tell me exactly what it is you are feeling?”

“Tatara’s not clear anymore. I can’t find and sense him as easily anymore. It’s like someone placed a translucent film over my eyes and I can’t see him clearly anymore.”

“Understood. In the meantime, although it might be difficult for you now, do you think you could at least identify a radius where you can sense his presence in the city? It will make finding him easier.”

Anna immediately got to work, already climbed up to bed. Munakata passed her a city of Shizume City and she closed her eyes and clasped the marble between her hands, concentrating on finding her important friend. Munakata rapidly processed the information, the gears in his mind already turning while his hands automatically reached for his head and sharply smacked Suoh square in the face. Suoh groaned as he was rudely awakened, but the moment he noticed Anna’s and Munakata’s grave expression, he couldn’t help but frown and asked what was wrong. Once he was briefed on the situation, his eyes blazed with anger and worry, his brows furrowing and his mouth turning into a scowl. The Kings contacted their individual clans and briefed them on the appropriate actions. For Scepter 4, they were to scan through the city’s CCTV and try to identify where Totsuka was last seen, while for HOMRA, their members were quickly dispatched to look for suspicious activity in the city. Though it was late, their clans took their orders without question, knowing that with Jungle’s activities on the rise, there was no guarantee of safety for the HOMRA gentle non-fighter.

Anna suddenly spoke out, jolting Suoh and Munakata out of their train of thoughts.

“Tatara’s around here.”

Though the radius she gave was relatively big, there was one building that stood out immediately. Mihashira Tower.

Offering her a job well done and that she should get some rest while the rest of the clans worked, Munakata was refused by Anna, who stubbornly insisting that she should be awake and do whatever she can to help. She didn’t want to be the only one resting while everyone else worked. Before Munakata or Suoh could attempt to assure her that she has done a significant portion of the work already, Munakata’s PDA rang, interrupting them. With a few firm nods and affirmations, Munakata hung up the phone and announced the critical information he obtained.

“Totsuka Tatara has been spotted unconscious and carried by what seems to be a Jungle member.”

“Where is he now?”

“We cannot yet determine his location yet, as when he was spotted, he was in transit. This is most likely a kidnap case.”

All three leapt into action, quickly preparing themselves for a trip to their respective HQs.

On the way, Munakata has been informed that the kidnapper was confirmed to be a member of Jungle and that kidnapping Totsuka was one of the missions issued. Munakata quickened his pace back to Tsubaki-Mon.

Concurrently, Suoh’s PDA rang, where Kusanagi informed that Totsuka’s camcorder was found lying on one of the roofs in Shizume City, one where he frequently visits and has been brought back to HOMRA. Similarly, Suoh and Anna hastened their pace back to the bar.

At Tsubaki-Mon, Fushimi had managed to obtain a CCTV footage where it showed clearly a masked clansman, or _ninja_ as Munakata insisted with Fushimi rolling his eyes and continued addressing it as a masked clansman, with Totsuka slumped like a ragged doll over the clansman’s shoulder while appearing out of a wall. The clansman wore a thick black armour that offered both protection and anonymity. However, more importantly, the location from where it was obtained was from one of the camera littering the corridors of Mihashira Tower, confirming Munakata’s apprehension.

Meanwhile, at Bar HOMRA, the camcorder’s film was swiftly processed and played on a projector screen, giving an enlarged video where all the members could watch. When the video started, Totsuka’s familiar and gentle hum filled the room as the rooftop door opened, revealing a grainy yet beautiful night landscape. Orange warm lights flickered between the buildings while bright white stars dotted the pitch-black sky above. Leaning against the railing was a man who looked effortlessly elegant, with wavy dark purple hair that looked almost black in the darkness, with leather gloves covering his slim hands and a long _katana_ slung across his back.

“Oh hello! What a beautiful night it is tonight, isn’t it?”

“Why yes, it is.”

“What brings you up here on this lovely night?”

“To see you, of course.”

“Me?”

Totsuka giggled cheerfully as he asked, and the gorgeous man turned to face him.  He had a graceful and piercing smile that concealed secrets, captivating anyone before him, including Totsuka. Even before a single syllabus could leave Totsuka’s lips, a muffled gasp was heard, and the camcorder was loosened from its grip and tumbled to the floor. The last thing they heard was before everything blacking out was the elegant man’s sweet voice.

“Good night, Totsuka-chan~”

Then the entire bar fell silent.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guysss, it may be a bit confusing but what I did was basically used a bit of Season 1 plot and mix it with Missing Kings and probably I will continue using Season 2's plot to progress the story! Anyways, thanks for waiting and enjoy this chapter!

Once snapped out of their stupor, the bar erupted into chaos. Most of the members were demanding that they save Totsuka and exact revenge on Jungle, while Kusanagi and Suoh stayed silent. However, their silence was anything but calm, it was murderous. Both their eyes blazed with fury.

How _dare_ someone mess with one of their members and be _cocky_ enough to leave evidence behind.

Kusanagi and Suoh shared a quick wordless glance, immediately knowing what the other was thinking.

They were going to get Totsuka back and make Jungle pay.

_No one_ messes with HOMRA and gets away with it.

* * *

 

The moment Totsuka’s location was confirmed, Munakata immediately called to inform Suoh. He knew how much the third-in-command meant to both Kusanagi and Suoh, and to be honest, Totsuka grew on him a little as well. He was a gentle soul who would never hurt anyone, choosing the most peaceful way to solve any issues. He didn’t deserve what he was going through now.

“Suoh. We found where Totsuka is. He’s at Mihashira tower.”

“I know. We’re heading there.”

“ Wai-”

Suoh hung up by then, and by the sound of the surroundings that Suoh was in, he was out of the bar and making his way there. Munakata let out a sigh of exasperation, before looking at Fushimi and giving him a sparkling and amused smile.

“Isn’t that great?”

“…What is, Captain?”

“That Yatagarasu-kun and you are getting along so well.”

Sparkles from Munakata were now practically bouncing off a miffed Fushimi.

“…Tch. That’s none of your business, Captain.”

Fushimi turned away in annoyance, displeased at being figured out so quickly and accurately. Though his face was in a scowl, Munakata could clearly see that his ears glowed a gentle red.

Munakata was amused by this turn of events. Though he didn’t have his memories, Munakata did manage to observe in the limited number of fights that Fushimi and Yata engaged in that they didn’t truly hate each other. If they really hated one another, for one, he knew with absolute certainty that Fushimi would have either chosen to finish them off immediately or to ignore them altogether. Yet, he repeatedly called for Yata’s attention, almost like a child provoking his crush in elementary school. Munakata’s smile widened at the thought, creeping Fushimi out and causing his scowl to deepen, and deduced that both parties at current were most likely frustrated with one another, trying to find each other in their own way and to meet each other in the middle of the bridge.

Filing the thought away for future use, Munakata quickly focused back on the task at hand. Totsuka’s safety was currently the highest priority and his subordinate’s private life can be dealt with later.

Munakata quickly issued out clear and precise orders for preparation to swiftly head to Mihashira tower while warning that Jungle was involved.

With Scepter 4’s efficiency, they soon barricaded the perimeter of the tower, which already had a smoking crumbling hole at the entrance, evident of HOMRA’s presence in the tower, if the rowdiness and noise hadn’t already given them away. HOMRA’s clansmen were currently already engaged in battle with Jungle clansmen, roaring and shouting as they fought. Munakata sent his men off, having already predicting that the briefing would difficult in the chaos at Mihashira tower and briefed them back at the headquarters. Scepter 4’s main goal would be to aid HOMRA in clearing the weaker Jungle clansmen, while Munakata was to rush ahead to find the kidnapped victim, where he expected to find Suoh as well. He had also managed to meet Kusanagi, who has already teamed up with Awashima, both calm and collected, taking out their victims strategically. Munakata had entrusted the two of them to keep things together and quickly started his ascend.

He got increasingly worried as he ascended, confidently following Suoh’s scorned path and glancing over the damage done to the infrastructure and the fallen unconscious Jungle clansmen. It was more than necessary, implying that Munakata’s instinct was accurate and that Suoh was recklessly using his aura out of anger and revenge. With Suoh’s cracked sword and dangerous Weismann levels in mind, he pushed himself further, speeding up to rush to Suoh’s side.

Thankfully, it seemed that HOMRA didn’t arrive that much earlier that Scepter 4, soon allowing Munakata to catch sight of Suoh’s brightly glowing form. When Suoh caught sight of Munakata, he let out a smirk.

“Chased me all the way here, huh, Munakata. Didn’t know you were that infatuated with me.”

“As arrogant as always, aren’t you, Suoh? More importantly, let’s focus on getting Totsuka-san back.”

Suoh nodded in agreement and both continued their ascend up to the floor where Totsuka was captured and held.

On the way, they were joined by both Fushimi and Yata, who were sent by Awashima and Kusanagi respectively, to aid their Kings as they had the situation under control. Before either King could sense their presence, they were able to hear the loud bickering as the pair approached, arguing over the most random things they could argue about, leaving their Kings speechless. Either way, they were grateful to have more help. Though Suoh wanted to handle it all by himself and to get revenge, he knew that his sword wasn’t in exactly the best shape, so he pushed down his pride, settling with at least being able to ensure Totsuka’s safety in person and teaching the culprit a lesson.

Arriving at the top of the tower, Suoh’s rational thoughts flew out of his mind.

“Ah King, and everyone! Hello there! Glad to see you all unharmed. Um, it’s kinda cramped in here, mind getting me out?”

Though Totsuka’s tone of voice was as cheerful as ever, it had less energy than usual and his appearance was far from optimistic. He was currently tied up within a cage above the Slate and there were bruises littering his arms and legs. As Suoh surveyed his current state, his eyes fell onto his friend’s face where a hand-shaped bruise was starting to form and a trail of dried blood from his lips. The sight of his friend being injured was the final straw that broke Suoh’s control over his anger.

While he was furious at the Bar, Kusanagi managed to coax him to at least be in control of himself in order to not burn down the entire city while on the way to the tower and the enemies he defeated effortlessly also somewhat managed to calm his anger by allowing him to let out some steam.  

Munakata and Fushimi were both speechless at the state Totsuka was in, but quickly recollected themselves got to work, briskly walking over to the cage to inspect it. Yata was spilling profanities out of his mouth, swearing to get back to whoever did this to Totsuka. Before Fushimi and Munakata were able to reach the cage, a glowing green scythe cut into their path, barely missing their faces, with both the men alert enough to abruptly stop in their tracks and step back.

Fushimi didn’t miss a beat and quickly took the silver-haired kid on, unsheathing his sword and engaging in battle. Fushimi was most definitely a proficient fighter, but it seemed that this particular clansman, a kid who fought like it was a game, was more skilled than Fushimi and was quickly gaining the upper hand. Yata, without any instructions, joined the battle, both taking turns to attack and defend themselves, while still arguing away.

Meanwhile, before Munakata was able to approach the cage once again, a light grey fog filled the room, obstructing the vision of Totsuka right before his very eyes. Loud shouts of confusion filled the room as Yata lost sight of the kid, but clear clinks of swords being exchanged were still heard, most likely where Fushimi was struggling to fight the kid, before Yata barged in once again, demanding that the kid was his enemy and he was going to take revenge for Totsuka.

Munakata, though initially stunned, immediately became aware of the presence of another King in the room, the only King that he knew that would have such an ability.

“Ōtori Seigo, the Sixth and Gray King. Who would have suspected that he was still alive and working with the Green King?”

“Ah, that name brings back old and unwanted memories. Unfortunately, that person died in the Kagutsu Crater incident. The person you see right now is just an old man. Iwafune Tenkei, pleased to make your acquittance, Munakata Reisi, the Fourth and Blue King. You too, Suoh Mikoto, the Third and Red King.”

Munakata went on defence instinctively, aware of the Gray King’s ability. His aura was able to create fog and was known as the ‘ultimate defence’. Though not much details were available, the mere experience of losing sight of something right in front of him allowed him to deduce enough that the aura most probably misdirects your attention, enabling the Gray King to attack while remaining hidden by his aura.

A sudden bullet flew past his cheek, grazing and slitting a thin wound across his skin. If not for Munakata’s quick reflex, the bullet would have probably done more damage. While Munakata wanted to attack Iwafune with his sword, it was too risky to attack, knowing that there were multiple people in the room, and he did not want to unnecessarily hurt anyone.

On the other hand, Suoh was too pissed to consider the damage he could have caused to anyone else and having Iwafune fading in and out of his vision was getting on his nerve. He let out a blast of a heat wave, intending to clear the fog once and for all. Unfortunately, the fog didn’t budge. Getting more and more frustrated, he started relying on his instinct to sniff out where Iwafune was and used brute strength to fight the Gray King. Suoh was surprisingly sensitive to the presence of Iwafune, being able to pinpoint where he was, almost like a lion attacking its prey in the tall grass of the savanna.

While Suoh kept Iwafune occupied, Munakata strategically made his way over to the cage, logically working out that the location of the cage, which though hidden, should not have shifted from its position.  Even with Suoh aiming punches and kicks to the Gray King, Iwafune was still able to spare some attention to Munakata, shooting bullets at random intervals, which Munakata managed to set up a barrier to defend himself. Though delayed, Munakata was finally able to get Totsuka out of the cage and to a safe corner of the room. He promptly reassessed the situation. Both Yata and Fushimi were still engaged tirelessly in battle with the kid, while Suoh grew more and more reckless with each missed hit, with Iwafune managing to dodge easily with the mere manipulation of his aura.

By then, three swords were floating in the air, the Red, Blue and Gray King’s. Suoh’s sword was the worst one out of all of them, cracks increasing in length, snaking their way across the body of the sword. Munakata’s sword looked worn out and wasn’t glowing as brightly as before, which worried his clansmen at ground level who could clearly see the difference between his current sword and his sword before the Gold King passed away. Awashima looked up in shock, not knowing that her King was using up so much Aura so quickly and made a note to consult her King once this was over, not wanting her King to end up overusing his aura.

Suoh was getting increasingly impatient and uncontrolled, increasing his Aura usage as time went on, angry that Iwafune wasn’t facing him head on and how dare he risk putting _both_ his clansman and lover in danger. Suoh’s Weismann levels rose rapidly, causing Munakata to become increasingly anxious as he knew the danger of Suoh’s sword possibly falling.

Suddenly, the fog cleared, and a loud slice was heard above them, giving him barely any warning as the roof crumbled down upon them. Munakata quickly erected a barrier, protecting both himself and Totsuka from the rubble. He also heard a panicked “Misaki!” and a slight glow of blue from the other side of the room, where it seemed that Fushimi managed to protect both himself and Yata in another protective dome, using Munakata’s aura. Whereas for Suoh, his aura was hot enough to burn the concrete before it could do any damage to him.

Once the dust cleared, the Slates could be seen, tied up with heavy duty ropes which were attached to a helicopter through the hole created in the roof. Iwafune and the kid were standing on the Slates, intending to escape. When Suoh realised that they were retreating, he recklessly summoned his Aura, allowing it to build up, intending to blast it upwards. He wasn’t going to let them get away with what they have done.

Munakata, once realising Suoh’s intent, became immediately distressed. Not only was the other occupants going to be injured from the blast and the possible fall of the Slate, but the act of killing another King was most definitely going to cause massive damage to Suoh’s already fractured sword, or even cause a Damocles Down. Eyes falling on the Slates, Munakata instantaneously came to the realisation that if he was able to contain the Slate’s power, it wasn’t that far of an idea to think that he would be able to contain Suoh’s power, since the origin of the Auras were the same.

With that in mind and barely any time left before Suoh was going to release his power, he sharply turned all his attention to Suoh, channelling his Aura to wrap around Suoh’s rapidly increasing power, and harden his resolve like a shield. Suoh, having no time to process Munakata’s aura surrounding his, let go of his pent up aura, eyes blazing red, trained on Iwafune.

Munakata struggled with the strength of Suoh’s immense Aura, which was more difficult to hold back, considering its power and intended use. He started sweating profusely and collapsed onto his knees, not even hearing Totsuka’s frantic and concerned calls of his name. He kept his eyes stubbornly on Suoh, fully intending to keep Suoh’s aura contained and to keep everyone here safe.

His sword, now clearly visible to the occupants in the room, suddenly emitted a deafening crack, and a rift appeared on Munakata’s sword. As Munakata continued to focus on containing Suoh’s aura, miniature cracks became visible and only then, did the occupants snapped out of their shock, with Fushimi and Totsuka shouting at Suoh to stop his Aura if not Munakata is going to be in danger. Only when the sound of his lover’s name and the word danger registered in Suoh’s mind, then did he finally snap out of his rage and cut off his aura. Concurrently, Iwafune and the child quickly made their escape with the Slate, aware of the possibility that Suoh may once again strike.

Once Suoh cut off his Aura, then did Munakata allow himself to relax, his glazed eyes barely being able to meet Suoh's gaze, allowing a smile to grace his lips, pleased at being able to keep everyone safe, before blacking out.  

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry if the story is a little cluttered as I merge some parts from Season 2 together in order to get the story going. I found no point in rewriting whatever Season 2 has already shown, so I merely combined the parts together. Plus, the main focus should be on Mikorei so I wanna quickly progress the story :> Also, there're some hints here and there about sarumi so I have edited the tags accordingly! You have been warned. But the main cp will still be Mikorei so :> Also, the characters may be a bit OOC (Not like they haven't been already) but I wanted to let them be more optimistic and truthful to themselves!

When Munakata woke up, a sense of déjà vu washed over him. He was in a white, sterile room similar to before with a heavy, coarsely knitted hospital blanket over him and the same warm, callous hand clasped around his. However, this time, he kept his memories. He knew what happened and one thing is for sure, the Slate, that was under  _his_  protection, was stolen. He shot up in bed, surprising the occupant next to his bed, his dull golden orbs lighting up in worry and shock.

“The Slate was stolen.”

Munakata groaned as he stated his thoughts out loud, as though reprimanding himself and his unclasped hand went to his face, rubbing away at his temples as his eyes slid shut.

Suoh abruptly stood up from his chair, causing Munakata to shift his gaze to him and be met with fiery amber orbs.

“Seriously, Munakata?  _That’s_  what you’re worried about? Do you know how long you were out?”

“…How long?”

“Two days. Two whole  _fucking_  days, Munakata. Did you know how my heart stopped when I saw you collapsed at the tower? You were unconscious and cold to the touch. We quickly rushed you to the hospital and you know what the doctors said?”

Without waiting for any reply, Suoh continued ranting.

“Lack of sleep, poor nutrition and over usage of aura! What the fuck were you thinking? Just because we’re Kings doesn’t mean we can just ignore our humane needs, Munakata. We’re still human before Kings, we aren't invincible.”

By then Suoh had calmed slightly, facing down to look at their clasped hands. He was able to quieten down after giving a piece of his mind to Munakata and releasing the pent-up stress that accumulated as time passed without any signs his lover was waking up.

“ _Excuse me?_ What was I thinking? What were  _you_  thinking when you wanted to attack Iwafune? All of us, Fushimi, Yata,  _Totsuka_  and I were there. Sure, I could probably protect Totsuka as he was close to me, but how about the other two? Do you really think Fushimi-kun would be able to withstand your aura at full power? Did you consider that the tower might collapse and injure those below us? Did you consider the damage it would have caused to  _your_  Damocles Sword? Did you know how  _scared_  I was of losing you?"

After taking a deep breath, Munakata admitted softly under his breath, though still loud and clear in Suoh's ears. 

"We both know it, Suoh. After yesterday’s fighting, there was no way your Sword would have remained intact if you took out another King.”

Munakata was now defiantly and silently glaring back at Suoh, gripping Suoh's hand within his tightly, refusing to back down. Of course, he understood Suoh’s worries, if Suoh took his place on the bed and was unconscious for two days, he would be just as worried if not more. Still, that didn’t mean that Suoh was completely blame-free. As much he understood Suoh’s rage back at the tower, it still didn’t give him a reason to completely neglect the safety of his own and everyone else around him.

Suoh continued to scowl at Munakata, who boldly met his gaze straight on, neither parties showing any signs of backing down. Only when a knock resounded into the tense room then did Suoh finally give in and looked away with a huff. The doctor that entered didn’t comment on the atmosphere but quickly checked Munakata’s vitals and updated the patient on the issues while instructing what to do as aftercare. He also gave permission for Munakata to be discharged as soon as he was ready, to which Munakata was grateful. There was probably so much work piling up, especially now with the Slate stolen by Jungle. This was now a precarious situation that required much discussion.

During his preparation to leave the hospital, Suoh stayed stiff and silent, as though fighting a mental battle against himself. It was only when Munakata was about to step out of the room, then did Suoh decide to make a sudden movement. He slammed his palms against the wooden door, trapping Munakata between him and the door. His intense gaze was directed downwards at their feet, hands now clenched in fists by Munakata’s head. Munakata turned and looked at Suoh with a raised eyebrow and his eyes widened when Suoh finally lifted his head to meet Munakata’s questioning stare. Suoh’s deep orange orbs were tinted with frustration and guilt, jaws tight and brows furrowed.

“Look. I’m sorry, okay? I… didn’t mean to put y’all in danger. I was just… too angry then. Sorry.”

Munakata’s features visibly softened, knowing how difficult it must have been for the gruff man in front of him to own up to his mistakes and face them head on, especially if he was used to walking out in order to avoid a confrontation with his aura going out of control. Munakata gave in and smiled gently at Suoh, hand patting Suoh’s silky and gel-free hair and was suddenly pulled into Suoh’s neck. He could feel Suoh’s rapid pulse, showing how much effort it took for Suoh to do what he did, and felt Suoh nuzzling into his hair and letting out a sigh of relief. Munakata wrapped his arms around Suoh, returning the hug and warmth feeling his chest.

“Even though I apologised for losing control, I’m still not gonna apologise for scolding you for neglecting your health. Thought I should point that out.”

Munakata let out a little laugh, “Yes, _mom_. Though you should know how worried I was for you too. I was afraid that I was going to lose you.”

With that, Munakata snuggled into the base of Suoh’s neck and allowed himself to bask in the warmth a while more.

* * *

 

Once he returned to Tsubaki-Mon, he was bombarded with concern from his team, including Fushimi who merely assessed Munakata quietly from the side, before looking away with approval. He smiled and apologised for the worry he caused his team, assuring them that he will be fine. With that, they swiftly changed gears and started to work. Thankfully, Awashima and Fushimi had managed to take on some of the work originally meant for Munakata, helping to reduce some of his workload for when he returned to work.

Munakata had frequent meetings with both his second and third in commands, examining what Fushimi managed to dig up about Jungle, considering what course of action they should take from now and the possibilities of working with other clans. The last issue, however, was met with animosity from Fushimi, who didn’t like the idea of having to 'play nice and act like a big family' that worked together to defeat the supposed enemy. Munakata quickly tackled that idea down, factually stating that though they worked together, it didn’t mean that it had to have any feelings in it. With Jungle having both the Gray and Green King working together, they were a formidable foe, one that Scepter 4 did not have a certain advantage over.

It would, therefore, be logical if they worked with other clans as well, not only to boost their chances of winning, but also to reduce as many casualties as they could on their side. With a coherent explanation, Fushimi had nothing to rebut. They ended up deciding to engage the Silver Clan, which had the Silver King who was the most knowledge about the Slate, as well as the Red Clan, which had numbers and power. With that settled between the three of them, Munakata dismissed Awashima to contact both clans and told Fushimi to meet him in his office in half an hour’s time to pass a copy of Jungle’s report to him. Though Fushimi raised his brow questioningly, Munakata simply smiled in return, to which Fushimi let out a huff of annoyance and a reluctant “Yes, Sir.”.

* * *

 

In Munakata’s office, the absence of any cameras and its walls being soundproof gave its occupants absolute secrecy, which was what Munakata was aiming for. Fushimi, punctual as usual, knocked on the dark oak door right as the half an hour mark was up.

“Captain. It’s Fushimi.”

“Ah, Fushimi-kun. Please enter.”

“Excuse me then.”

With the door securely shut, Fushimi took several strides to the front of Munakata’s desk, before politely asking the reason for his presence.

“Fushimi-kun. Before I start the briefing, I would like to emphasise that the mission I am about to assign you is up to your choice to whether you want to take it or not. If you do not like the nature of the mission or for any other reasons, you are welcome turn it down.”

“..Tch. I’ll end up doing it anyway, won’t I, Captain?”

“That’s up to you, Fushimi-kun.”

Munakata made sure that eye contact was made, and that the severity was gotten across to Fushimi, before he continued.

“I would like you to infiltrate Jungle, using whatever means necessary.”

“...Hah?”

“As we are both well aware, Jungle is capable of hacking and manipulating information on electronics. As such, it could be that the information that we have been retrieving so far has been planned beforehand and that they were deliberately released to us. I have absolute faith in your hacking skills, Fushimi-kun. However, when a King’s aura comes into play, anything goes.”

“Hence, you want me to infiltrate and get first-hand information?”

“Glad to see you catch on so quickly.”

“… I understand.”

“Remember, Fushimi-kun. You are eligible to reject this mission if you deem it unsuitable.”

“…Tch. I’m the only one who can do it, right? With my background as a traitor and all.”

“That was one component that I took into account.”

“How will we communicate, Captain?”

“Not to worry. Remember Ninja-san? It seems that she is in need of some financial assistance.”

“…Understood.”

“Then please see to how you would like to ‘betray’ Scepter 4, as you deem fit. I will play along, but if any nerves are struck, please know that I do not mean it.”

“Understood.”

* * *

 

With Awashima’s competence, a meeting with the three clans was soon set up.

Before the meetup including the clansmen, Munakata, Suoh, Kusanagi and the First and Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann, or Shiro, as he insisted on being called, had a private meeting beforehand, wanting to be clear on the situation and be on the common page before the briefing with their clansmen to avoid confusion.

Taking into account the massive number of people present, with HOMRA insisting on all their clansmen being present to be kept updated on the situation and Scepter 4 stating similar reasons, though it slightly felt as though they didn’t want to lose out in numbers to HOMRA, they ended up conducting the  conference in an empty lecture theatre in the deserted Ashinaka High School. It had coincided with the school vacation and as such, there were barely any students on campus, making it a suitable location. All three clans were already kept up to date with the fact that the Gray and Green King were in cahoots and that they have stolen the Slate, for what reasons, the red and blue clans did not know.

A slight rivalry was still present between HOMRA and Scepter 4, merely due to the fact that HOMRA causes so much chaos in Shizume City that leaves Scepter 4 having to clean up after them. HOMRA has the impression of Scepter 4 being too uptight and in turn, Scepter 4 considers that HOMRA is too lax. Even with the open secret that their Kings are a couple, as Suoh isn’t exactly the best at keeping things hidden, tension is still observed between the two clans. Though the reluctance to work together hung heavily in the room, the loyalties and faith in their own respective Kings kept both the red and blue clansmen obedient.

 As for the Silver Clan, it was the most neutral group, as not much encounters have been made between the clans, allowing for easy cooperation with the personalities of Kuroh Yatogami, the strict and skilled swordsman, and Neko, the easygoing cat Strain.

Shiro has already done some research ahead of time and came up with two solutions. Either they fought to regain the possession of the Slate, or in the case they were unable to do so, the Slate could be destroyed with a Damocles Down.

Another shocking revelation besides the possible destruction of the Slate was the deduction of the reason behind the stealing of the Slate. Shiro, who used information from the previous attack that the Green King attempted on the Gold King and the exchange that Kuroh had while fighting Mishakuji Yukari, a J-ranked member and a previous colourless clansman, had come to the conclusion that Hisui Nagare had plans to release the Slate’s power to the mass population.

According to Mishakuji, he was curious about ‘what kind of beautiful world that Nagare-chan was going to create by allowing everyone to be on equal grounds’, leading to the deduction that Hisui wanted to use the Slate to give everyone an ability, just like Kings and clansmen, in order to be 'on equal grounds', leaving the other two clans speechless.

Going by his intentions, the retrieval of the Slate was time-sensitive, where they had to retrieve the Slate  _before_ the release of the power, or if the degree of release was still manageable, Munakata would be responsible to restrain the power within the Slate once more. However, in the worst-case scenario where the release is too large of a scale, the Slate must be destroyed, even at the cost of their powers as Kings.

During the briefing, the participants stayed silent as they processed the news. The three Kings and Kusanagi, who were already aware of the information, allowed for it to sink in, before deciding to issue roles to their respective clansmen. Only at the declaration that the red and blue clansmen were to be paired up to increase efficiency in fighting, then did the clansmen start voicing their disagreements.

Scepter 4 accepted the arrangement more maturely, knowing logically that what their King had planned for must have allowed for the highest rate of success and were able to obey the orders, though reluctantly with a few uncertain and annoyed looks thrown at HOMRA’s direction. HOMRA, on the other hand, was completely unafraid of voicing their disapproval of working those with ‘the Blues’. As it got rowdy, Fushimi, who remained passively quiet through the meeting, suddenly stood up.

“Captain, how low have you sunk that you have to rely on these uncivilised gangsters now?”

The room immediately fell silent, with Fushimi insolently staring at Munakata, objection and criticism clear in his stormy eyes.

“Fushimi-kun.”

“Ohhhh. I get it. Is it because you and Suoh are together now, that’s why you are forcing us to work together? Wanting us to get along like you and the Red King?”

“This is a critical mission and I require that my clansmen carry out my orders impartially. I am aware of the tension that goes on between our clans but what feelings we personally have will have no place in this mission. Or are you no longer able to obey my orders and have become incapable of cooperating with us on this mission  _precisely_  of your emotions?”

“No, Captain. However, I am aware that there are other ways to go about this, without having to rely on those barbarians, with similar chances of success. Has the temptation of spending time with your lover allowed you to cloud your judgement?”

Fushimi sneered at Munakata as he picked expertly at the weak points and unspoken uncertainties, dragging them to surface. Munakata didn’t miss a beat.

“Then allow me to ask you the same question. Is  _your_  judgement clouded because of certain old wounds that you refuse to acknowledge? That you are  _afraid_  of reopening?”

A slight look of vulnerability flashed across Fushimi’s face, too quick for anyone else to catch beside Munakata who had all his focus on Fushimi, before a look of defiant and disappointment overtook his face.

“Captain, if you insist on playing nice and house with all these  _things_ , then I will leave.”

“Then go ahead and resign. It’s what you do best, isn’t it? Jumping from clan to clan, finding security in only the winning side. Once the side you are on disagrees with you or seem to be on the losing end, then you make the switch, don’t you? Being the  _traitor_  you always are. Having no particular loyalty to any King yet being unable to leave the power of the Slate. What a pathetic weak being you are.”

The moment those words left Munakata’s condescending smirking lips, Fushimi drew his sword and brutally stabbed at the wall just behind Munakata, closely missing his face.

“Then I shall.”

Fushimi left his coat hanging on the sword and swiftly left the theatre, as though it was too sickening to continue breathing the same air as them.

The rest of the theatre was left speechless after such an intense argument. However, they quickly reorganised and got back to work, pushing the issue behind them, knowing it was a sensitive topic that should be avoided.

Yata, who stayed silent, had watched on with hurt in his glazed hazel eyes, as though reliving through hell again, having to watch Saruhiko betray once again.

Suoh observed Munakata as the argument occurred, seeing the tightly clenched fists kept hidden behind his back, visible only to where Suoh was standing, as he confidently spoke and dug viciously into Fushimi’s wounds. Besides that single giveaway, Munakata appeared to be perfectly fine while continuing to assign the roles, as though nothing had ever occurred.

But Suoh realised. That it had hurt Munakata to say those words. But still, Suoh kept it to himself and didn't say a word.

* * *

 

Suoh, with Kusanagi's and Totsuka’s help, had managed to get his clansmen to pair up, who begrudgingly obeyed due to their unwavering faith in their King, which Suoh was thankful for. Everyone had been paired accordingly, except for Yata, who declared confidently that he will be fine working on his own, though his eyes didn’t portray the confidence his voice did.

With the plan mapped out and everyone clear on their roles, everyone was finally dismissed. The current plan was for the informant, in other words, Kusanagi, to research and find Jungle’s hideout as well as where the Slate is, using his connections and numerous search parties. The assignment of pairs was such that each partner could fill in each other’s weakness, as the Red Aura was generally more aggressive while the blue aura is generally better used for defence. With the knowledge that two Kings were involved and the already massive number of Jungle clansmen, this was a precaution taken in order to maximise each of the clans’ aura as well as to lighten the load on both Kings, who swords aren’t in the best condition for reckless usage. Furthermore, Anna, though being unable to fight, had provided them with a red marble per pair, allowing for communication between one another, without the fear of Jungle listening in.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Fushimi had already started his preparation into Jungle. His account for the Jungle application previously created in Middle school was still accessible to him and he quickly leveraged on that, having already accumulated a certain number of points. He also headed to the predetermined location where he was to meet ‘ninja-san’.

Hirasaka Douhan was a U-ranked Jungle clansman, however, rather than accumulating points in order to raise her ranks or to meet the Green King, it was just a method she deemed beneficial to increase her income. As such, it was easy to bribe Hirasaka to work with him, given Fushimi’s rich family background, allowing for him to quickly rise in rank with Hirasaka’s help, as long as he paid her accordingly.

* * *

 

The very next day after the conference, a letter came in for Munakata in the afternoon, dismissing him from his position as Captain of Scepter 4 due to his negligence of the Slate, resulting in it being stolen. In preparation of his predicted dismissal, just earlier in the morning, Munakata had transferred Zenjō Gōki, a former right-hand man of the previous Blue King, Habari Jin, from the Internal Affairs division to their squad, to fill in the empty hole left behind by Fushimi’s sudden betrayal as well as to watch over his back.

With him no longer being the Captain of Scepter 4, Munakata was more easily able to manoeuvre without being tied down by his duties, allowing him to conveniently carry out his deal with Hirasaka. As planned beforehand with her, she was to be the middleman of contact between him and Fushimi, having easily bribing her with the large sum of money paid beforehand that was considerably more than ample to cover the scope of her job. 

They communicated back and forth via a unique and tedious code known only to Fushimi and Munakata at sporadic times and without the usage of technology, in order to reduce any possible interference from Jungle.

Though relieved of his position, Awashima, Kusanagi and Shiro insisted on keeping him within the loop, giving him updates on the situation. However, the information gained from Fushimi was kept a secret, giving Munakata a much fuller picture as compared to the rest.

* * *

 

In under just a month, Fushimi was able to rise to J-rank, using cunning methods to hasten the process, and was brought into their base by Mishakuji Yukari, the man who was involved in the kidnapping of Totsuka. Mishakuji was an impressive swordsman, that Fushimi would recognise, but the emphasis on appearance and things beautiful will probably be something that he would _never_ want to or ever _attempt_ to understand. Either way, he kept his face a careful neutral, neither showing disdain or a sense of accomplishment, appearing to be almost bored.

As a J-rank member, Fushimi was given free access to their base, which was underground with sky-high ceilings. He was led through underground passages that were hidden from maps and could have never been aware of if not guided through willingly by the elegant man. He continuously took note of the changes in directions that Mishakuji took, drawing an imaginary line as they walked on the city map clearly memorised within his mind, always being attentive of his location. He soon realised that their base was at the heart of Shizume City, and if his memory served him right, right above them would be high-rise glass office buildings, crowded roads and streets. Their security was also extremely tight, and he doubted that even with Scepter 4’s abilities, they would undoubtedly face issues getting in.

Their surroundings consisted of bare concrete, with thick pillars shooting up into the ceiling, supporting whichever structure was above. In this desolate area, a particular room stood out. It was a traditional Japanese living room, complete with a  _tatami_ floor and a _kotatsu_ removed of its blanket. It was almost as though someone cut out this particular room from a life-sized dollhouse and decided that this underground space could be a good plot of land to live in. Unlike the cold, hard concrete surrounding the room, the room appeared to be warm and completely lived in, with belongings scattering here and there, indicating that there were signs of life that were thriving in this room.

The room was anything but vacant. There was that kid that Yata and him fought, Gojo Sukuna, the Gray King, Iwafune Tenkei and the Green King, sitting leisurely in a bulky and technologically advanced wheelchair, Hisui Nagare. Sukuna, who was originally lying on his tummy on the floor and smashing game buttons on the game console, brought uncomfortable flashbacks to Fushimi, of Yata and him mirroring those exact positions in their apartment in the past. However, the moment Sukuna became aware of Fushimi’s presence, he abruptly sat up and crossed his arm, clearly showing his distaste for the new member. Iwafune, Hisui and Mishakuji welcomed Fushimi heartily into the clan, preparing a _sushi_  party for him, and Fushimi stared back blankly with mild disdain. He was on high alert after all, positive that the clan’s members did a background check on him and knew about his history as a traitor and yet they were so easy-going with him, sharing their secrets so readily, as though either they had complete faith in him or that they didn't view him as a threat at all. 

He maintained a disinterested attitude while answering their questions, telling them that he viewed all of this as a game that he was playing to kill time, though if those were truly Fushimi’s thoughts or not, only he knew.

As expected, Fushimi was let in onto their game plan of releasing the Slate’s full power to the world, allowing everyone to have some form of ability, turning the world into a literal Jungle, where the strong kills the weak, and into an all too real game where your one limited life is at stake, where only the fittest survives.

As the ethereal glow of the Slate lit up Fushimi's sharp features, he felt a undeniable hostile glare from his side, where Sukuna was still whining about how he was unable to stand guys who rely on other players to win, clearly unhappy that his record was beaten and was pulling at whatever loose threads he could find to prove that his ability to rise to the top was still better than Fushimi’s more cunning methods. He even proposed a challenge to Fushimi, where they betted on Jungle points depending on who won in a fight, but before Fushimi could go on defence, Mishakuji stepped in, bobbed them ‘gently’ on both their heads, leaving them gripping their pounding heads and kneeling on the floor. He lectured them on how _comrades_ shouldn’t be fighting one another, unknowingly hitting a sore spot in Fushimi and Sukuna pouted, stomping away childishly.

* * *

 

Munakata still moved about, keeping himself updated on the situation and intending to fill in an almost full picture of the situation with information from Kusanagi, Shiro as well as Fushimi, almost like a puzzle.

However, due to being well recognised for his stunning features, it became impossible for Munakata to participate in the collection of intel in person as Jungle members, who were already aware of his dismissal, would most definitely recognise him. As such, he most stays hidden, aiding in strategizing for the team. He refused to stay at home and wanted to be involved as much as possible, his mind making him restless if he was to obediently sit and wait, hence he decided to cleverly hint at certain points that the team may have missed, or brought up certain ‘possibilities’, prompting the team in the correct direction and bringing up key considerations that he already knew from what Fushimi told him.

With his quirky yet quick-witted personality, no one questioned his thoughts and always considered his inputs seriously, unless it came to everyday items. Though everyone could certainly agree that Munakata Reisi was an intelligent man, his ignorance when it comes to certain things that were considered common sense to most of the population still occasionally left them speechless.

For example, when the searches for Jungle’s base came up to be null, Munakata brought up a suggestion, probing their attention in the correct direction.

‘We already checked all the buildings, warehouses, every nook and cranny with our connections, but we can't find them! Where on earth could they be? Underwater?!’

‘If they were not on land and not in the air, rather than under _water,_ could it be they are located under _ground_?’

‘But we checked all the underground tunnels.’

‘Yes, but only those that appeared on maps, those that we can _see_. I wouldn’t be surprised that Jungle would have easily accessed the maps in the government records via their technology network, making them aware of which tunnels to _avoid_.’

‘Are you suggesting that they may have an underground base hidden from the digital maps we obtained? Even so, we have also physical maps that were provided to us.’

‘That I don’t deny, though those maps you are given are relatively updated. There is the consideration that there may be tunnels that might have been dug that resulted in not being used in the end. Without a use and a wastage to refill, the government could be easily bribed by someone powerful enough, keeping it hidden and given full responsibility just like buying a plot of land.’

‘…’

‘It is but a possibility. Allow me to ask you to ponder, if you were in Hisui’s shoes, intending to release the Slate’s power, where would you think it would be best if you wanted its influence to extend over the largest and most efficient radius?’

‘In the heart of the city, where there were the most people.’

‘Correct. However, did you come across any maps stating tunnels under the city area?’

‘We do, but only for train tunnels.’

‘And with the concentration of numerous train tunnels connected in the city, it would not only make the release of power ideal but the ease and accessibilities to different locations becomes-.’

‘The perfect location for a base.’

Munakata merely smiled at Kusanagi’s deduction abilities.

* * *

 

When Munakata returns to the apartment nowadays, he is often accompanied by Suoh, as he is no longer hoarded by work and Suoh usually being present at the meetings with Kusanagi and Shiro, though he sleeps through the majority of it. Munakata enjoys being able to have free time to spend with Suoh, as though they could finally make up for the lost time during the eventful past weeks. They usually spend their time relaxing, where they quietly bask in each other’s presence, grateful for having their partner there with them.

However, Suoh has occasionally and accidentally caught flashes of worry and distraught on Munakata’s expression, usually when Munakata is under the assumption that Suoh has fallen fast asleep and has unconsciously let down his guard. He often noticed them when his eyes were open barely in slits, still half asleep and slightly blurred, but the expression was way too distinct and obvious for Suoh to _not_ be aware that Munakata was troubled. As soon as Munakata catches him though, his facial features quickly change, into one of contentment and warmth, as though he pushed those worries to the back of his mind and focussed solely on Suoh being present with him.

There were occasions where Suoh outrightly asked what was going on, but Munakata often brushed it off lightly, assuring Suoh with reasons that he knew were too trivial to have bothered Munakata to this extent. When he soon realised asking straightforwardly didn’t work, he ended up keeping his thoughts to himself and letting them wander, until one hit him so suddenly and severely, almost like a truck slammed into him at full speed.

Munakata was keeping things from him, things that he was not happy about. Just like what happened before the fight that night.

It suddenly dawned on him, the almost similar manners that Munakata was acting, keeping his worries to himself, reassuring him offhandedly and hiding his true thoughts away from him. What if this was going to be a repeat of that night? Though Suoh knew logically that the factors that angered Munakata that night were not the same, he still felt an absurd apprehension gnawing away at him. He didn’t want to lose Munakata a second time, but what should he do? He certainly didn’t want to wait until things built up resulting in another explosive argument, but with the way that Munakata was acting, how was he supposed to know what was going on in his lover’s head?

* * *

 

Fushimi gathered the information he was given so freely together with a warning that it was barely any time left before they were going to release the Slate, leaving destroying it to be the only viable option left. As usual, he kept his message brief and to the point, setting out to meet Hirasaka. As a J-rank member, he was given freedom in his movement, giving him no issues to head out to the red-light district to meet her.

She was already there once he arrived, all according to plan. He had lost the initial awkwardness as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side, pushing down any distaste he had towards the way he acted. Hirasaka responded accordingly and easily, having been in numerous missions where she had to play the part.

To an outsider, they were just another faceless and shameless couple, heading in to do what love hotels were built for. However, this was all part of Munakata’s strategy, who stated that love hotels were one of the most misdirecting places that they could be at, being opposite sexes and of age.

However, it just so happened that Yata Misaki was having a part-time shift at a restaurant nearby, getting off work at the exact time he spotted Fushimi and some lady he wasn't able to recognise heading into the hotel.

He felt too scandalised to even react, mouth left hanging open, cheeks flushing red-hot but when he finally recollected himself, the pair was long gone in the hotel.

As expected of one with his character, he made a big fuss out of it at the bar the following day, leaving the rest confused with his loud stuttering and incomplete sentences. Munakata caught on quickly enough, knowing exactly what Yata had seen, and smiled mysteriously.

“It seems that Fushimi-kun may have found an _enjoyable_ partner.”

“Wha- That _traitor_!? No way! He doesn't swing that way!”

“Oya? How did you so confidently know that, Yata-kun?”

“That’s ‘cause he-!”

Only then when he realised what he slipped, his mouth clamped firmly shut, looking like a deer caught in the headlights

The rest who were present, Suoh and Kusanagi, shared a knowing smile while Munakata continued to sparkly beam at him, obviously enjoying teasing the chestnut-haired boy. He was so easy to rile up and his reactions were so amusing, Munakata could now somewhat understand why Fushimi was addicted to provoking him so much during their fights.

Yata was staring stubbornly at the floor, unable to meet anyone’s eyes, fingers clenched around the corner of the barstool he was sitting on between his legs, before suddenly standing and stomping out of the bar.

While Kusanagi and Suoh stared as Yata went, Munakata’s eyes trailed after him as well, before realising that Yata’s shoulders were tense and his knuckles were pale white. He let out a heavy sigh, before stating that he wanted some fresh air and that he might have gone too far with his teasing, following after Yata. If Kusanagi or Suoh had any thoughts about Munakata’s behaviour, they didn’t state it out loud.

* * *

 

Thankfully, Yata wasn’t far from the Bar, stopping at a nearby alley, with walls scribbled with graffiti, punching the walls agitatedly.

“Yata-kun, that’s not a healthy way to let off steam.”

“I don’t want to hear that from the King who fainted from neglecting his health.”

Munakata chuckled, unable to deny the accusation.

“Even so, I wish to apologise if I struck a sore spot.”

“S’kay. It’s not like you did it on purpose or anything.”

“I insist on an apology, nonetheless. How about I offer you a piece of information as a form of apology, Yata-kun?”

“Hah?”

“It may come to be that he will share my destiny and have to die. If that happens, I’m sorry. I apologise in advance.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

It seemed that Munakata had Yata’s full attention now, the wall now completely forgotten, amber orbs blazing with disbelief and concern.

“Didn’t he betray you and leave the blues?! And now… that double-crosser is with the Greens!”

“By my order.”

With those three simple words, Yata’s frantic shouting suddenly became muted, its owner slowly taking in the turn of events.

“After the Slate was stolen and before I was dismissed as Captain, I gave my orders to Fushimi-kun. I ordered him to infiltrate Jungle using any means necessary, as I was aware of the lack of or only slight advantage we have over our enemies. Jungle is a formidable foe, one that even with Fushimi’s hacking skills, would require too long of a time and too much of a risk to handle if he were to stay on Scepter 4’s side. However, if he were to infiltrate Jungle, then the information we gain would be most valuable. The scene you saw that night, was just Fushimi-kun passing on information to Hirasaka-kun, to be passed to me.”

“Wha- But what if Saruhiko gets caught? He might be killed by the Greens!”

“That’s true. I sent Fushimi-kun out on a mission with no guarantees that he would return alive. Precisely because he is the only one who can pull it off. Of course, he accepted the mission fully aware of the risks.”

“Why would you do that? How could you even think of giving your own clansman such a mission? Why!?”

“Because we can’t let Jungle have their way. Scepter 4 is a clan that stands for order. We will not stand by and watch the world fall into chaos. And Fushimi-kun is a member of that clan.”

Munakata looked away from Yata, observing as the clouds drifted by lazily in the azure sky.

“However, there is one way for him to live through this. That is to, betray me and really join Jungle. Furthermore, if that becomes the case, then it could also be possible that the information he is sending us is false and throwing us off track. What do you think he would do, Yata-kun? You are an old _friend_ and know him very well, after all, am I not correct?”

Munakata stared honestly and straight at Yata, who fell silent before replying quietly.

“Even so, you have faith in him, don’t you? That’s why you gave us the hints during the meetings, subtly informing us what Saruhiko told you.”

“Your assumption is only partially correct, I am afraid. Truthfully, I am unable to say that I trust him wholeheartedly. I have analysed the information he has given and compared it with the information that everyone else has gathered, choosing to only give those that were of having the highest possibility of being true."

Munakata was no longer facing Yata, but his gaze flickered back to the Vanguard as he spoke.

"Let me tell you a secret of mine, Yata Misaki of HOMRA. As much as logical thinking and explanations play a major role in my decision making, being with a partner changes you. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. It is up to one to filter through those traits and choose to adopt those deemed beneficial. I’m sure you can understand that, having been in that position before, haven’t you, Yata-kun?”

By now, Munakata had a rare genuine smile that he usually kept for Suoh, to which Yata could not help by be honest and nod meekly.

"Though Suoh is quite the spectacular idiot, his guts have never failed him. That’s why I wanted, for once, to follow what my guts tell me to do. And that is to have faith in Fushimi that he will successfully complete this mission just like the many ones before I have assigned to him."

“But will he be safe? Knowing that stupid monkey, he probably neglected his nutrition and sleep, making him weaker than usual. The J-rank members are dangerous and if they find out…”

“For what reason do you think I told you all this for?”

With that, Yata’s face cleared of all doubts with his eyes lighting up with determination and had a confident wide grin.

* * *

 

As though a key trait in HOMRA, determination and straightforwardly were almost like prerequisites to enter HOMRA, present in all its member one way or another.

When Munakata was gone, Kusanagi heaved a sigh of exasperation, recognising instantly the troubled stormy eyes of his long-time friend.

“What’s wrong this time?”

Suoh slowly turned his head to his friend, his question forcing him to reluctantly and finally break his gaze away from the entrance of the bar that Munakata had stepped out from.

“S’ not another fight.”

“Go on.”

“Nothing happened.”

“Go on.”

“…”

“I’m waiting, Mikoto.”

“S’ just.”

“Hmm.”

“Munakata’s hiding things again. Just like before.”

Kusanagi wasn’t HOMRA’s strategist for nothing, his deduction skills letting him catch on quickly.

“Like before the fight?”

“Hmm.”

“What have you done so far?”

“Asked him what’s wrong. But he refuses to tell him.”

“Just like before?”

“Yea.”

“Mikoto. What have I told you before?”

“Hah?”

“MIKOTO.”

“Uh. He likes drinking whiskey?”

Whack.

“Be serious. Mikoto.”

“He loves me too much?”

“Yea. Exactly.”

“And…?”

Another sigh of exasperation.

“If he really loves you, then maybe it’s because he’s afraid of worrying you with his worries, you idiot. Munakata-san’s a really considerate person.”

“Hey. He’s mine.”

Whack.

“It means that he probably needs some prompting from you before he reveals what’s making him worried. And you know him well enough to know he needs some kind of logical and sensible explanations to convince him that telling you is alright. That you _will_ sit that and _not_ stomp out even after listening to something you dislike. That you will face _reality_ , whether you love or hate it, because Munakata’s more important than those trivial feelings. What’s important in a relationship is not what you individually feel and insisting on the other feeling the same, it’s the feeling that you and your partner can count on one another and face the issue as one being, not as two separate people. Got it, Mikoto?”

“Hn.”

Whack.

* * *

 

Keeping Kusanagi’s words in mind, _mind you,_  he was listening, Suoh quickly made up his mind to discuss it over with Munakata. Suoh didn’t like thinking too hard, _too much effort_ , and thinking and contemplating were Munakata’s and Kusanagi’s job while he just decides or agrees and does it. So, while they were enjoying dinner that Suoh made, he decides to bring it up.

“Munakata.”

“Hmm?”

“We need to talk.”

“We already are, Suoh.”

An unimpressed stare and a delightful, cheeky little smile.

“I want to know what’s troubling you.”

“I have already told yo-”

“Did you think I would believe that bullshit you’re telling me, Munakata? I’ve known you long enough to be able to see through your lies. It’s probably because you don’t want me to worry about you, but did you think that hiding it makes me even more worried?”

“Suoh. I-”

“I _want_ to be with you. I want to be someone you can work with in times of need. Don't keep things from me for the fear of me reacting badly. That's something I am going to work on. Also, don’t keep it to yourself out of consideration. I want to know everything about you, good or bad. It doesn't matter. I want us to be together and I just want us to face things _together_ , okay?”

It initially started off fierce with determination but the final sentence eventually ended a little timidly, with Suoh’s gaze directed downwards at the table before whipping up to intensely stare at Munakata, so much so that anyone besides Munakata would have thought that Suoh was angrily glaring.

However, to Munakata, he noticed all the small signs.

A dusting of light pink on Suoh’s cheeks, golden pupils shining bright with determination, with his mouth curved in a downward frown that carried no ill will, but portrayed willpower with maybe some awkwardness and shyness mixed in as well. Overall, Suoh was endearingly forcing himself to say everything that he would ordinarily never say in order to assert that he really loved Munakata and wanted to be with him.

Munakata, while touched by the sentiments, with a faint blush on his own cheeks, couldn’t hold back the airy giggles that were forcing their way out of his throat. He placed a relaxed fist in front of his mouth and his eyes closed, turning away from Suoh while his smile curved up as mirthful little laughs escaped from him.

First of all, Suoh was embarrassed _as fuck_. His blush escalated to a full-blown crimson red and his slammed his hands on the dining table, demanding for an explanation. But soon when all he got was lighthearted chuckles, he fell for the charming sounds fleeing from his lover’s mouth and merely huffed, sitting back on his chair, crossing his arms and looking away unhappily.

When Munakata finally calmed down, he was wiping small beads of tears that were gathering at the corners of his still gleaming and smiling eyes. Suoh was still pouting, displeased by Munakata’s reaction. If Suoh was an animal with ears, his ears would be most certainly drooping while looking away dejectedly.

“Suoh. I apologise for laughing, but you were really, for the lack of a better word, _adorable_.”

Another indignant puff of air made its way of a miffed Suoh Mikoto.

“I really do appreciate the effort you took to tell me all your thoughts truthfully and I would like to let you know that I am undeniably touched by your sentiments. Unfortunately, the current problem I am troubled with has _absolutely_ nothing to do with our relationship. It is about a dangerous mission that I have sent Fushimi-kun on. I am merely worried about his safety.”

“Sorry, what? Fushimi? Didn’t he betray- Oh.”

“Yes, that was all part of the plan. I have planned to keep it a secret, such that it would be more believable to the enemy. As they always say, to fool the enemy you first fool your allies. However, after today’s discussion with Yata-kun, I believe it is no longer a concern.”

After registering what Munakata revealed, all the agitation and energy left Suoh, leaving him slumping in his chair, both palms covering his eyes.

_This is unbelievable._

Once he recollected himself, Suoh sat up, remembering the other objective he has yet to complete.

“Munakata. Let’s get your memories back if we still can. I need to prove what I said after all. I need you to remember what you were thinking that night, in order to fully understand and face what you were feeling that night. Even if there’s a risk that I might lose you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many dialogues, so many words omg HAHA I think this is the longest chapters I have written so far! But we are reaching the climax and the reveal soon!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's such a long chapter oh dear. Action isn't exactly my strong point but when you kind of start on it, it's kinda hard to stop halfway tbh HAHA so this happened. As usual, thanks for waiting and enjoy this chapter!!  
> Side note: Sorry I didn't include the cool af fight between Kuroh and Mishakuji, because the chapter was already very long and it would have made it even longer than it already is ^^"

Munakata stared back at Suoh, violet eyes wide with surprise. He had never expected Suoh to actively and _willingly_ want to help him get his memories back. At this point in time, Munakata had already chosen to give up his memories, in exchange of a future with Suoh. He had chosen the future instead of the past.

However, Munakata couldn’t help but wonder occasionally about the past, about what he knew before. Maybe there were some secrets that only the past him knew, like what changes had Suoh gone through before he became the Suoh of today, what was Scepter 4 like in the past and how he changed it into what it was today and _what_ did he say that night that made Suoh feel so hurt?

“Are you certain? Though I don’t deny that getting back my memories would indeed satisfy some of my curiosity, it does not mean that it is necessary.”

“Nah, it’s fine. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have mentioned it. You should know me well enough, Munakata.”

“Alright, if you are absolutely certain. However, may I request that we only discuss this after the whole issue with Jungle is settled? Though I can’t guarantee that there is actually _still_ time to salvage it, I would like to focus on the matter at hand first.”

“Yea, was thinking that too. Let’s kick their butts first then go find your memories.”

Munakata gave a small chuckle, amused that no matter how sweet Suoh is, his manner of speaking is still quite atrocious. Suoh gave a gentle but determined smile in return.

* * *

 

After receiving the most recent information from Fushimi, Munakata knew that there wasn’t much time left and had concluded that the most likely outcome would have to be to destroy the Slate. With Shiro’s information, there wasn’t any difficulty in executing the elimination itself but planning was critical, especially considering that both his and Suoh’s sword were both at risk of falling. No doubt that there would be an all-out war prepared when they went to retrieve the Slates, but they would at least have an advantage with the enemy not likely anticipating their plan to _destroy_ the Slate once and for all.  

It was known by most of them, including the enemies, that Shiro’s entire career was built around the study of the Slate and that the Slate was no doubt intricately tied to Shiro’s life. Though Munakata did express some reluctance in destroying the Slate, as it implies that his power will disappear together with Japan’s possible rapid progression in the future, he knew that at this point, destroying the Slate would be inevitable.

Suoh, on the other hand, was completely on board with the idea, especially since he can finally relax and not be bothered by the attempt of the aura to mould him into a destructive persona. His only cause of concern, really, was that he now had to _actually_ put in effort into punching and defeating his enemies.

After Munakata’s ‘suggestion’, Kusanagi was able to dig out an old floor plan that fits in perfectly with what Munakata had ‘predicted’. Right in the heart of the city, there was a large empty space that was not in use and had soon disappeared off official records, allowing for it to fade away from the eyes of the current public. Using those records, they began to plan.

With the knowledge of it being underground, they expected that the Slate will not only be well protected but will be under multiple floors of solid concrete. In theory, if they were to destroy the Slates, they must have access to it without any interference in order for the energy from the Damocles Down to be fully utilised in eliminating the Slate. This is where the pairs come into play.

Each pair will be sent to each floor to clear out possible enemies, where they were to work together in order to efficiently maximise each clan’s aura. They were tasked to do it as quickly as possible as they did not want Hisui to have enough time to see through their plan and inhibit the destruction. Once cleared, the pairs will communicate and announce that their floors were ready to Suoh, who would be at the top, waiting for the reports and signal.

When all is set, he was to unleash his aura to blast through all the asphalt, allowing for a clear path from the sky, where the Swords were floating, to the exposed Slate hidden underground. Of course, it is to be expected that Hisui and Iwafune, the two Kings, will try to protect and stop them from reaching the Slate. Hence, Shiro and his clansmen were tasked to handle Hisui, where Munakata was to distract Iwafune.  

Though they were tasked to make sure a Damocles Down occurs, they were to also ensure that no one else’s sword fell besides the one intended to. All three Kings, who were sensitive to dangerous Weismann levels, has decided that they would just allow whoever’s weakest sword to fall, which is more likely either Suoh’s or Munakata’s, as their swords were more damaged as compared to Shiro’s.

In the case that there were two swords that were at risk of falling, then the one who has successfully completed his task was to hold his aura back as much as he could, such that the other could allow his sword to fall once his task was completed.

With this in mind, Shiro and Munakata both knew that they were to fight with cautious, as fighting other Kings could unknowingly use up more Aura than expected, at least until Suoh has completed his task. There was no way to tell if Suoh’s sword would fall from the amount of aura he was expected to use, so they must ensure that their swords wouldn’t fall until Suoh was done with his task and that his sword wasn’t going to fall.

By this point, Anna, who had participated and listened quietly, without any comments, joined in when they were talking about Suoh’s aura usage. She revealed that her marbles were able to connect and prolong Suoh’s aura, hence, Suoh was not required to expel as much aura as expected, as Anna’s marble will be able to allow the aura to connect and reach the bottom without allowing it to burn out. With that in mind, the three kings decided that it was probably safest to act accordingly to the situation on that day, as there were too many unconfirmed factors that could easily tip the scales.

* * *

 

Fushimi’s face was lit up by artificial white and blinking green lights, his face frowning in concentration as he mentally hurried up the program in his PDA. He had designed the program while undercover, having easy access to the main computer room as a J-ranked member. In the darkness of the room, the stillness and tranquillity didn’t allow Fushimi to relax, even when the program on his PDA indicated that the hack was successful, with a button popping up for Fushimi to press to open up the metal gates.

With Munakata’s intel, he was able to easily grasp what the three clans had planned, and knew that by opening the metal gates that so strongly protected the entrance would allow for easy and direct access for the pairs to quickly relocate to their respective floors, but also reduce Suoh’s burden greatly, having to use less aura to blast through the heavy duty metal slabs. Despite being wary and uncomfortable towards his previous King, he knew logically what he had to do, in order to not only reduce the risk of having two possible Damocles Downs but to also increase the chance of their plan succeeding.

As he was about to solidly press the button, Kotosaka, the green parrot in which Hisui used as a medium to move around, patrol and communicate, let out a flutter of his wings, announcing his presence. On instinct, a dagger kept within Fushimi’s sleeve slid out, landing comfortably between his middle and ring fingers. Fushimi turned his head cautiously, only facing to green parrot halfway, who was perched on the top of the bookcase in the dark room. The smooth and calm tone of the Green King broke the tense silence of the room.

“Hello, Saruhiko. You sure work fast. I’m impressed. I know what you’re up to. You intend to invite the Kings in.”

“If you know that, then you should hurry up and kill me.”

“There’s no need. And there’s no reason to either. As long as you don’t open the gate, then you will not be considered a traitor. A J-rank has the right to walk freely around the secret base. And a duel between clansmen is also not prohibited.”

“Meaning the moment I open this gate, I’ll be disposed of as a traitor, right?”

“You understand things quickly, and that saves time. The Kings will not be able to reach this place. Even if the Red King chooses to use his aura to forcefully open up the gates, the stress on his Sword would be immense. Meaning that should I send multiple opponents, forcing him to use his aura to protect, it would almost be certain that it would result in a Damocles Down, causing many needless casualties. Furthermore, it would also result in your meaningless death. A dog’s death.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, an invitation, Saruhiko. I’m offering you the chance to truly be one of us. Your personality isn’t suited for Homra or Scepter 4. You’re best suited for Jungle, which honours free will.”

After listening to the detached voice of the Green King, knowing exactly that what the Green King was intending to do would indeed lead to a disaster if he were to betray Jungle, he let out a sigh of resignation, fingers relaxing and causing the dagger to clink as it fell to the floor. He was fully aware that in Hisui's plan, there were no loopholes for him to sneak his way out of and would most likely not make it out alive if he chose to betray him.

“It is true that if I stay here, I won’t have to deal with idiots, or be forced to obey a superior’s reckless orders.”

“Affirmative.”

“Then my answer’s obvious.”

Fushimi firmly and defiantly pressed the button, allowing his program to run, before smugly turning back to the parrot with glowing green eyes.

“No thanks.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

As soon the sentence was spoken, the Green King disconnected and the parrot cawed loudly while announcing “You’re dead! Dead! Dead!”. As the bird flew off, with Fushimi still slouching in his seat, the door to the room slid open, revealing Sukuna with an excited and cocky grin, almost like a smug little brat who got his way in the end.

“If you’re no longer on our side…Then I guess I can kill you now, right?!”

With his ominous bright scythe gripped in his hands, he leaped forward energetically, preparing to swing down his attack. Three more daggers slipped smoothly in between Fushimi’s pale fingers, his eyes glinting dangerously.

* * *

 

Within just a mere two days of solidifying and prepping themselves for the fight, a column of sheer blinding white light shot up into the sky, reaching places far beyond the clouds. This unleashed all kinds of abilities from within the people in the city, creating chaos when uncontrolled powers escape and cause unintentional disorder. Munakata glanced worryingly around the chaotic streets, where confused citizens shouted in alarm when power became summoned without their will, spiking up the hysteria around them.

No longer holding the position of Captain, Munakata had no authority to command over the police forces and Scepter 4 to reorganise the mess and could only hold himself back despite the anxious need overtaking him to grab hold of order in the city. He made his way separately from the other two Kings, approaching from the east side of the giant porthole that was shut and protected by a heavy thick metal lid, where the bright pillar of light escaped from. The light had, by then, dimmed to a gentle glow by the time Munakata arrived on the scene, but the familiar tingle he felt from the light was no doubt the same sensation he felt leaking out from the Slate whenever he had to repress it back.

Since he no longer had a team to cover his back anymore, he had requested for Zenjō to accompany him, someone who he felt he could count on in this case if things were to start escalating in the wrong direction. Furthermore, Zenjō, though invited by Munakata, wasn’t filed as part of Scepter 4 yet, because the paperwork wasn’t settled yet when Munakata was dismissed, hence he is not ‘officially’ under Munakata. Therefore, giving him the right to request it as a favour rather than a command. Additionally, Munakata honestly didn’t want to put any of his clansmen under the burden of having to slay him when things turned for the worse, but with Zenjō, someone who was stoic and not emotionally close when it came to him, he could be relied on to carry out the burden without any hesitation.

When the pair arrived, the heavy gates creaked and rumbled open, almost as if on cue, leaving many of the green clansmen surprised at the opening entrance into the Jungle headquarters. Iwafune was, however, on the raising platform, ready waiting to greet them, relieving Munakata of the trouble of having to search for the said man. Iwafune had nonchalantly commented on how the gates were really opened and stepped from the platform, ready for the battle with Munakata.

Munakata commanded for Zenjō to stand down and that the fight with Iwafune was his to handle. The stoic man obediently stepped to the side, no questions asked. Errie, cool fog quickly filled up the area, similarly to how it filled up the room with the Slate in Mihashira Tower.

Though Munakata has yet to figure out how to see through the fog, the preparation he was involved in with the other two Kings relived him of the burden of having to work alone and striding on without a plan in mind, giving him a resolved and crystal-clear mind. Being a man of strategies, he was partially reassured by the plan that they came up with, though it wasn’t foolproof, it was at least enough to allow him to focus solely on his job without worrying about the next step.

“Munakata, _battou._ ”

His scabbard unclicked with a blue spark, allowing his sword to slide smoothly out and Munakata got into position, prepped for a fight. As both Kings activated their auras, their respective Damocles Sword materialised in the air above them, Iwafune’s sword, completely crack-free surrounded by the same mist and Munakata’s sword, littered with rifts and cracks.

Iwafune chuckled before starting to slowly making his way over, with slow and relaxed footsteps when a giant airship suddenly appeared and flew by closely above them, crashing into the road behind of them. Iwafune abruptly stopped in his steps and as soon as he realised what Munakata's plan was, he gave another resigned laugh before shrugging it off.

As he continued his stroll towards Munakata, he begins to mock and spite Munakata’s morals. However, when one was aware of Iwafune’s involvement as the Gray King in the Kagutsu Crater incident, his tone of voice could be easily identified as bitter and cynical, due to his failure to save the thousands of lives lost in the incident.

And now, he was currently extremely displeased with how Munakata was mirroring his determination in wanting to ‘save’ the thousands of lives that Iwafune had now believed to have been given the chance to stand up on their own with the abilities unleashed, that they could finally protect themselves. Though Munakata could understand why Iwafune was acting as such, he refused to waver on his stand and stood firmly on his grounds, which further angered the priest. He loaded his silver pistol, aimed and confidently took shots at Munakata.

Having observed Suoh back at Mihashira Tower and enquiring the said person, the cobalt-haired King focussed on his other senses besides sight. The main issue was that the fog completely cancels out his sight, which would sensibly cause anyone to panic. However, for Suoh, who spent most of his life with his eyes closed on the couch at the Bar, he was able to hone his other senses, especially sensing danger approaching the Bar, where his family let their guards down to celebrate and bond.

With his concentration no longer on sight, he came to realise that as a King, his other senses were much more sensitive and it was only because he relied on his sight so much that he never took notice. Keeping in mind that he was to reduce his usage of aura as much as possible, he easily dodged the paths of multiple bullets flying out from all directions at him. Munakata was mindful at some point he would need to counter, as Iwafune would become increasingly frustrated at his misses, but all he could hope was that by then, Suoh had or was close to finishing his task.

* * *

 

Using the Himmelreich, with permission from the Silver King, Suoh, the pairs consisting of a red and blue clansman and the Silver clan approached the site of action, intending to crash the party with the airship. It not only served as transportation, but it also aided in wiping out a significant number of low-ranked Jungle clansmen that were sure to be tasked to guard the entrance.

Though Himmelreich was no doubt precious to the Silver King, Shiro had assured them that it was fine to use the ship, as it not only helped to reduce the brawls that occurred, but also it was a way to help him to release himself from the past and to progress into the future without anything to draw him back. His eyes were glazed with sadness when he said it but it was also most definitely resolute in the decision he made.  

As expected, Jungle clansmen were scattered about like anxious ants, patrolling the now exposed entrance to the lair. With the ship adjusted to lower in altitude beforehand, the massive vehicle barely made it past the narrow gap between the high rise buildings, sweeping past the top of Munakata, who was calmly watching the approaching Iwafune, with his sword drawn and possessing the latter’s full attention, with a strong breeze and finally making contact with the asphalt, sliding and taking out massive numbers of the green clansmen. Most of them were left unconscious, giving the passengers little to no trouble alighting the crashed airship and quickly dispersing, intending to carry out their part of the plan and not wanting to drag anyone else down.

Totsuka and Anna, both who were unable to fight, had stubbornly insisted on coming with them, insisting that they wanted to be there for moral support at the very least. Suoh and Kusanagi had reluctantly agreed after many rounds of pestering and puppy eyes, but on the condition that both of them were to stay within the crashed Himmelreich, away from prying eyes targeting weaknesses in their plan. Suoh, who was tasked with blasting a path down to the Slate, had to stay at the surface anyway, ended up taking up the task to protect them as well. Another advantage when it came to pairing up the different colour clansmen up was that not only were they able to reduce the usage of aura on their respective Kings, but it also allowed for leeway, in case, at any point, when extra manpower was required.

The entrance to the underground lair was easily dominated by the pairs, who had time to train with one another, familiar with each other’s pattern of attacking, allowing the swift defeat of the guards. As they lowered further each floor, each pair separated and quickly took on their roles, wiping out every possible clansman that could interfere with their final plans.

As the first few floors’ defences were weaker, the pairs that were allocated were allowed to send one of the representatives up, once they ensured that their levels were cleared and making sure that at least one of them stayed underground into to toss Anna’s marble out to connect and prolong Suoh’s aura. A mixture of blue and red clansmen reappeared, intent on aiding in any way possible.

When made aware of Suoh’s duty, the red clansmen offered up protection for Totsuka and Anna as well, swearing to protect them with their lives while the blue clansmen that came up stayed at the sidelines, watching Munakata dodge the bullets gracefully, almost as though performing a dance. Even with their confidence in their King, they knew that first and foremost, he was a human, just like them, only with a higher tolerance for pain and probably stronger stamina. Hence, they kept a close lookout for when their King may be in danger, ready to step in to help their King, even without orders from their ex-Captain.

* * *

 

As the number of pairs decreased as they descended further and further down, it was soon Kusanagi’s and Awashima’s floor, leaving only Yata and the Silver clansmen to head to the final two floors.

Kusanagi and Awashima worked extremely well together, efficiently clearing the floor up of any enemies, despite being overpowered in terms of numbers. With their level settled, they leaned against the wall near to the stairs that Yata and the Silver clan took that led them further underground, cooling off from the exertion. Though their tasks was completed, Kusanagi could feel the tension rolling off Awashima’s shoulders, with minute fidgets that anyone would have missed if they weren’t paying attention. Knowing the level of professionalism that Awashima displayed no matter the situation while on duty, Kusanagi sighed and before calling out for Awashima’s attention.

“Seri-chan. Go up to ya king. We’re done here anyway.”

Awashima’s crystal azure eyes widen but didn’t refute what he said. Once being assured that Kusanagi will be fine on his own and was to take on the task of tossing the marble, Awashima gave a soft and grateful smile to Kusanagi, the most she has ever allowed for her emotions seep through her professional appearance and left without looking back, her loyalty and duty calling for her to be at her King’s side. Kusanagi let out another sigh, feeling a slight ironic pang of jealousy while looking at Awashima’s retreating back, wondering if Awashima would ever do the same for him if he and Munakata swapped positions.

* * *

 

When he was still on the ship, Yata was conflicted, his brows furrowed under his messy chestnut bangs, unable to choose between his duty to HOMRA and his duty to Saruhiko as a friend, or whatever they were now. As he stood alone, feeling the air whip through his locks and lost within his thoughts, he was approached from the back.

“Go save ‘im.”

“Huh?! Mikoto-san?”

“Munakata told me. Worried ‘bout Fushimi, huh?”

“Wha-! W-well, yea.”

“Go help ‘im. He’s important to you, right?”

“Homra’s important too!”

“I know but the importance is difference, right? You can’t compare them that way. I won’t ever ask you to give up one or the other. Same with me.”

“Mikoto-san…”

“Go. You’re Homra’s _Yatagarasu_ , right? I’m sure that you’ll be able to do both.”

Facing Suoh’s rare and gentle smirk, Yata was taken aback but soon felt confidence and pride swelling in his chest, before posing with his fist in the air and proudly assuring his King to count on him, smiling brightly, with the grey clouds of doubt shrouding him blown away.

* * *

 

Once ensuring that the Silver Clansmen were safely on their way, the vanguard went on his search for his important but stupid monkey. He effortlessly glided through the corridors, taking out faceless clansmen right and left, paying barely any attention to them, with his main focus on finding the grumpy dark-haired male.

Soon, his ears caught the sound of a rumble not far off together with what he could only describe as delighted and overexcited loud barking. He hastens his speed, hoping that Saruhiko was still okay while continuing to relentlessly call out to him.

Fushimi tirelessly threw knives at Sukuna, who was agile on his feet, swinging the viridescent scythe with deadly intent. Fushimi did what he could to avoid having any parts of his body cut off while growing not only tired from the lack of nutrition and sleep he had, but also from the ongoing springs and leaps he had to perform to avoid that sharp blade. With increasing fatigue, Fushimi accidentally skidded on the heel of his worn-out sneakers, falling onto the ground with a loud thump. In defence, he quickly flung out his knives but Sukuna managed to knock back one of the razor-sharp daggers right into Fushimi’s right thigh. He grunted as pain blossomed and shot up his leg, rendering it weak, causing him to lean on his arms to his left, trying to remove as much weight as possible from the injured thigh.

As Fushimi struggled to ignore the pain, he felt his headache growing as the kid in front of him arrogantly spouting gaming terms away endlessly, treating this entire situation like a game, where Fushimi should have been more of a fight, being the final boss and all. While trying to regain his breath, thoughts of his life being the worst ran through his mind, that he not only had to put up with this gaming shrimp in front of him but that this troublesome and dangerous mission wasn’t at all worth the pay that Scepter 4 offered him.

Resigning himself to fate, he was about to force himself to get up, seeing how Sukuna wouldn’t stop until he was dead when a familiar obnoxious shout of “Saruhiko!” caught both their attention. As Yata got closer to Fushimi’s location, his voice increased drastically in volume, echoing off the walls, swear words and desperation reaching Fushimi’s ears clearly. He turned his gaze to the floor in disbelief, not believing that that idiot really came after him, while a depreciating smirk played on his lips and incredulity clear in his eyes. _What an idiot._

As Yata raced through the corridors, getting increasingly close to where Fushimi was, he encountered more green clansmen, firing away bombs, trying to hit the nimble vanguard. As he avoided and took them down with his skateboard, he continued to yell out Fushimi’s name, eyes flickering around to catch sight of him. _Damn you! Trying to look good all by yourself! If you die without telling me anything, I’ll never fucking forgive you, stupid monkey!_

As Yata easily avoided the rockets being launched at him, a couple of them hit one of the walls, causing it to explode, with the impact hitting Fushimi, slamming his back into another solid concrete wall. Fushimi slumped down after the hit, almost like a ragged doll, and Sukuna took his chance, swinging his weapon up and preparing to strike but before it hit its mark, a metal bat intercepted its path.

When the wall had collapsed, Yata immediately caught sight of Fushimi and quickly realised that he was in danger, causing him to rush over and block Sukuna’s strike. Thankfully, he made it in time and reposition himself protectively in front of Fushimi as Sukuna bounced back from the interruption.

Seeing Yata taking Fushimi’s place delighted Sukuna, as the boy only saw Yata as another player to take down and another challenge for him to beat. Fushimi had put up a good fight, but with his current state, there was barely any challenge left and Sukuna was confident that he would be able to easily strike him down in one hit after defeating the hot-headed vanguard.  

With overconfidence, Sukuna had let his guard down and Yata took that opportunity to abruptly extend his metal pole, with the intention of jabbing Sukuna right in the stomach. However, Sukuna dodged barely in time, causing the pole to smash one of the pillars behind the kid and dust and pebbles tumbled down, creating a fog of dust. With Sukuna stunned, Yata swiftly grabbed Fushimi and heaved him up, supporting him as he zoomed away on his skateboard. Once Sukuna snapped out of his stupor, he leapt immediately after them, declaring that he won’t let them get away.

Yata activated his aura, speeding up their escape, hoping to put some distance between Fushimi and Sukuna so that Fushimi could at least get out safe while he tried to get rid of that annoying kid. Though they were advised to minimise their usage of aura, Yata had a feeling that if he didn’t use it now, he was going to get a sharp smack from Suoh when he got back for being a moron.

“Oi! Saruhiko! You still alive?! Hey, Monkey!”

“You’re lateee…”

Fushimi drawled out his tone as he replied and Yata’s amber orbs widened in surprise.

“And you call yourself the clan’s lead attacker? What a joke…”

Jolting out of his shock, Yata indignantly told Fushimi to “Shut up!”, while relief flooded his system, as Fushimi’s mockery returned, though they held no malice.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You know I can’t talk about top-secret missions, _stupid_. Couldn’t you guess?”

Yata clicked his tongue in reply, irritated with Fushimi’s haughty attitude. However, instead of just arguing back pointlessly, he frustratedly rebutted back with his point of view.

“How was I supposed to guess from just that?! You’ve always been like this… Yeah, I’m stupid! That’s why unless you tell me, I won’t get it.”

“Would you have understood even if I told you?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one? Obviously, say it in a way I understand! Keeping saying it until I _do_ understand! If you didn’t tell me anything, and your dumb ass died… I would’ve thought you were a traitor forever!”

“I _am_ a traitor.”

“No, you aren’t! You risked your life to go this far for the Blue King…Just as I would for Mikoto-san... Then that just means that to you, the Blue King was your King all along! You stupid monkey!”

Fushimi lifted his head off Yata’s shoulder, staring at Yata’s determined side profile, amazed at how someone so intellectually challenged was able to say what exactly he needed to hear in the simplest ways.

“Fushimi Saruhiko of Scepter 4, is a loyal and reliable guy in my books! That’s why I fell in love with him all those years ago and still is!”

Yata’s face flushed with embarrassment as he confessed sincerely but proudly, though the second sentence was mumbled a little more timidly, it was still loud and clear in Fushimi’s ears. However, before Fushimi could get a reply in, a cross was slashed in the floor right in front of them, throwing them off the skateboard. Yata swiftly got back up on his feet, preparing to take on Sukuna and protect Fushimi if required.

Sukuna increased in speed as he dashed towards Yata in a zigzag pattern, catching him off guard, before abruptly swinging out the scythe to slice Yata. On instinct, Fushimi threw one of his limited number of knives with deadly accuracy, but Sukuna reacted quickly enough to whack the knife away. By then, Yata had refocussed himself, positioning himself to strike at the cockily grinning kid. Both of them started running at one another, Sukuna swinging his weapon out to strike while Yata suddenly jutted his pole into Sukuna’s abdomen and extended his pole like before.

In the short time that Sukuna allowed himself to be surprised, Fushimi had already aimed his knife at the kid, slicing open a wound on the green clansman’s bicep, causing him to collapse on the floor while groaning in pain. Yata approached the writhing boy on the floor, with a smug grin, while reminiscing how it was like the old times when he and Fushimi fought together as a team. When Fushimi denied this, Yata corrected himself, declaring how they were still a team  _and_ proud clansmen of their respective clans and they were going to take this brat on.

Sukuna clenched his teeth in frustration, not believing that these two old guys were able to take him down and started to lash back in rage. However, with Fushimi and Yata working in sync, reading each other’s movements with ease, allowed them to quickly tackle the young man down. However, at the very end, Fushimi had overexerted himself, momentarily forgetting the wound he had on his thighs and kneeled weakly to the floor. With Sukuna falling into the depths below and no chance of getting back up, Yata quickly made his way to Saruhiko, fussing over his wound.

Now closer in proximity to Fushimi, Yata was able to see how much cold sweat covered him, breaths coming in and out in frantic pants. Though Yata’s immediate reaction was to bring Fushimi back to the surface to get immediate medical attention, Yata’s marble suddenly glowed, with Kamamoto’s calls of his name. He suddenly remembered his duty, conflicted once again, not wanting to leave _Saruhiko_ here alone, but needing to do his part.

“Go. And count me out of this one. Or I’ll be working overtime without pay.”

“But you’re…”

“What’s important _now_?”

“…”

“Go, Misaki. Trust me. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, yes. Hurry up, you’re dragging everyone back.”

“Hmm. Let’s meet up after all this is over, ‘kay?”

“Yea. Let’s.”

As Yata was about to dash off, Fushimi looked away from Yata and muttered under his breath, so suddenly that Yata almost didn’t catch it.

“Misaki. I’ll... think about how to say things so that even a fool can understand. Be careful.”

Yata broke out in a big smile, giving Fushimi a thumbs up before dashing off.

As Fushimi stared at the small yet strong back of Yata skating away, he let out a sigh, now at a slight loss. He had used up all his knives and had no weapons that he could use to protect him if Sukuna came back. He heard running footsteps approaching his location and sighed in resignation while deciding to reflect on the possible change in his and Yata’s relationship in the near future rather than the possible enemies approaching and leaned back on his arms.

A green glow appeared behind him, drawing his attention and his gaze met the all too familiar stoic gaze of Hirasaka.

“An escape route has been secured.”

“I don’t recall asking for your services again.”

“I have already received my payment from your superior.”

Hearing that, Fushimi merely smirked.

* * *

 

At the surface, it became increasingly difficult for Munakata to avoid Iwafune’s shots. The priest grew increasingly impatient as his shots always barely missed their target, and infused his aura into the bullets, making them more powerful, swifter and harder to dodge. From the marble inside his pocket, Munakata was constantly updated with the situation below, allowing him to be able to gauge the progress at which the plan was progressing. The levels were steadily becoming cleared as time progressed on, where the pairs were performing much better than expected, much to his amusement and delight. By then, most of the levels were cleared, with only three of them remaining.

In the brief moment where Munakata spared some attention to the marble, Iwafune used the chance to strike, where one of the bullets embedded itself in Munakata’s left shoulder. Munakata gasped in shock at the sharpening pain, staggering a little in his steps, dropping his sword on the floor and his right hand coming up to shakily gasp at his injury.

Iwafune let out a haughty and smug huff, pleased that one of his bullets, one that was more powerful no less, finally managed to hit its target. Clenching his teeth, Munakata applied pressure to his wound, hoping to lessen the blood flow, at least for the time being. He was kneeling on the ground, with sweat pouring down his temples and his breathing becoming erratic and quick. Iwafune approached the collapsed figure, grinning sadistically, extremely satisfied at the pain that Munakata was in. Iwafune, though tempted to bask in the joy that the sight brought, knew the dangers of prolonging the kill. He clicked his pistol with practised fluidity, preparing for the next shot.

Just as the pistol was about to fire, a silent and swift slice come from his back, causing him to jump and avoid the ambush.

“Captain!”

Following the voice, Akiyama’s and Dōmyōji’s running figures became increasingly clear as they approached their captain. Seeing the state of their Captain, they quickly took their positions, determined to defend their King at all costs, despite the power imbalance. Iwafune, though initially surprised, let out a huff, scornfully mocking their stupidity and naivety if they thought that they would be able to protect their King.

Munakata let out a sigh of fond exasperation, stating that they should not be calling him Captain anymore, ending with a bitter laugh. Though slightly disappointed at his mistake that resulted in manpower wasted on him, he was touched by his clansmen loyalty and was grateful that they showed up when they did. Munakata did not want to think what would have occurred if they didn’t show up when they did.

Though only two of his clansmen were present, the two did their best at forming a protective shield around their King, knowing that though it won’t prevent the bullet from penetrating, it should at least help the bullet slow down enough for them to slice through. Not long after, they could hear more rapid footsteps approaching their location and soon, a few more of their clansmen joined them with Awashima being the final addition.

With his clansmen and lieutenant being so stubborn in insisting on being of assistance to him, proudly proclaiming that though he may no longer be their Captain, he was still the Blue King and they were all his clansmen, while the shield they erected became a brighter and stronger azure. Despite Munakata being well aware that manpower could be used more effectively elsewhere, his gaze softened before hardening, his injury suddenly being no more of a concern. He stood up confidently and regally, picking his fallen sword on the ground, and dashed ahead, as if the bullet wound no longer exist, choosing to pounce at the exact time when Iwafune wavered when faced with Scepter 4’s determination to defend. With a clean slash across his chest, from his right shoulder to his left hip, blood spurted from the clean line, and Iwafune collapsed.

The moment where Iwafune collapsed, a deafening crack resounded through the area, causing them to shoot their eyes up to Munakata’s sword, where a diagonal deep crack appeared, almost mirroring the slash that Munakata had caused on Iwafune. Iwafune’s sword was fading.

Currents of electric blue flickered around Munakata’s figure, appearing and disappearing in flashes. His squad turned to him worriedly, watching as Munakata finally gave in to the pain that was momentarily shielded by adrenaline, now sitting on the floor.

“Captain! You must undo your Sanctum immediately!”

“I already did, Awashima-kun. Unfortunately, it seems that my will alone is no longer enough to make it disappear.”

Awashima’s eyes widened, as memories of Zenjō slaying his King flashed around her mind, and took a stance in front of Munakata, back to back, while facing the rest of the clansmen, announcing that should Captain’s sword fall, she would carry out what was needed. Even without any wavers in her strong voice, her sword couldn’t stop trembling.

With the fog dissipated, Munakata was able to meet Suoh’s gaze across the entrance into Jungle’s lair. Suoh’s golden orbs were blazing with worry and frustration and all Munakata could do was to return a smile that he hopes would at least reassure Suoh somewhat, even if he himself didn’t feel that way.

Suoh barked into the marble he carried, demanding the progress with the clearing of the floors, his voice carrying across not only through the marble but across the space between him and Munakata. Irritation laced his commands to which where the clansmen reconfirmed their status, leaving only Yata’s floor to be the floor that was in progress, in which the vanguard shouted back that he was almost done.

Suddenly, another sword joined the two damaged swords in the air, the Silver King’s. In their plan, Kuroh was set up to go against Mishakuji Yukari, and that Neko and Shiro were to confront the Green King. Already suspecting that the Green King would refuse to listen and insist on going his way, Shiro had mentioned that the moment his sword appears, Suoh was to use his aura to blast through to open up the path, while Shiro would fight and hold Hisui off as much as possible in order to stop him from murdering whichever King before his sword fell. Shiro had reassured them that though his ability was not offensive as Suoh’s, his would at least allow for his to be able to keep Hisui busy enough to concentrate on him and only realising the plan before too late.

With the signal clear in the sky, other Homra members’ distressed calls to Yata echoed within the marbles, to which Yata had replied to go on and that he would most definitely make it. Distracted by both Munakata’s condition and stressed by the situation, Suoh hadn’t notice Anna arrive by his side, only when a delicate tug to his fur jacket startled him then did he turned his attention to her. Anna stared at Munakata with anxious eyes, almost as though she knew that Munakata wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. She then turned to Suoh, meeting his gaze straight on and unwavering, before telling him to go and that Misaki _will_ be able to make it in time.

Initially astounded by the girl’s certainty, Suoh had stared at the girl who met his gaze head-on without flinching away, before the man smiled and patted her head gently. He then announced into the marbles, letting everyone know that he was going to start, to which everyone acknowledged and Yata shouting ‘count on me!’.

Once ensuring that everyone was at a safe distance, especially Anna, Suoh gathered his aura from his being into his two clenched fists, causing two magenta flames to erupt from his hands. As he concentrated more and more aura within his hands, more and more cracks snaked across his Red sword, its sound reverberating through the area and everyone stared concernedly at the Red King. Once he deemed it sufficient, Suoh lifted his fists towards the sky and slammed the blast towards the platform with a grunt, where the flames easily melted through the concrete like butter, making its way down. Just like a leopard, it leapt from floor to floor, graceful yet powerful. With each marble thrown to it on each level, the flames curled around the red marble, absorbing it before chasing the next one on the following floor. It ate through the concrete floor at an alarming rate, barely stopping at each absorption before firing itself through the floor to the next.

As everyone stared hypnotised at the magnificent flame, more intense and destructive they have ever seen their King let out, their faces scrunched up anxiously, hoping and praying for their comrade to make it in time. Suoh, who stood at the very surface, stared down at the hole his aura created, golden orbs bright and penetrating. Munakata, who watched the entire scene occurred, was captivated by the beauty and grace of the flame, something he would have never associated with the destructive nature he was always at the receiving end of. As his gaze shifted to his lover, who was panting ever so slightly, his chest heaving heavily and tiredly, his eyes widened in horror, as he saw the skin on the fist, black and charred, appearing in tendrils that wrapped around his hands. _Third-degree burns,_ Munakata noted and made sure to drag Suoh to get them checked out later. Above the Red King, his sword crackled, and small debris rained down into the still-forming hole below.

As Yata raced through the floor, determined to meet that flame, he let out a battle cry, swinging his bat towards each enemy that attacked him, speeding up even further. He gritted his teeth, pushing himself further towards the finishing line that was already in sight. Just as the flames melted through the ceiling above, Yata pulled his arm back and flung the marble with all his strength. The marble flew and pierced through the air, almost like an arrow, meeting the flame just in time before being absorbed and the floor beneath burst through, causing the light from above to flood the final level, lighting up both the Slate and the occupants. The flames licked at the Slate and overflowed through the room, causing Shiro to quickly put up his shield to defend himself and Neko.

The moment Suoh caught sight of the glowing Slate at the bottom, he let out a sigh of exhaustion and relief, slumping down on the perimeter that surrounded the entrance to Jungle’s headquarter. He looked up at his sword, smiling resignedly, both glad and reluctant to finally get rid of this destructive yet robust power.

When natural sunlight hit Hisui’s eyes, he paused in his attacks, confusion written on his face as he stared at the glaring hole in the ceiling above.

“ _This_ is your plan? You continue to disappoint me… What is this supposed to accomplish?”             

Hisui stared arrogantly at Shiro, disdain and mockery clear in with those now silver eyes, framed by wild and untamed white hair.

“A _path_ has been opened.”

Shiro stared back confrontationally, eyes clear and full of intention. However, before Hisui could even reply, Suoh’s sword had reached its limits. The clunks that fell increased to frightening sizes, raining down into the pit below, the sphere that always flared a bright red dimmed and blackened out, signalling the end of its life. The sword soon started descending, the situation hitting Hisui hard in the face.

“A Damocles Down?!”

With a flick of his finger, a digital screen appeared in front of Hisui, with flashing numbers dancing across the screen.

“That’s right. I’m going to destroy the Slate with a Damocles Down!”

“Are you insane! No matters, if I’m able to eliminate the Red King before the sword falls…!”

Hisui quickly shouted commands into his computer, issuing missions with ridiculously high points as rewards for the clansmen above who were able to attack and kill the Red King. With the few left conscious that were initially held down by red clansmen who were no longer as vigilant, escaped from their grasp, firing whatever weapons they still had on their hands at Suoh. There were a few snipers present as well, taking aim.

As Hisui was preparing to leap up to ensure that the job was completed successfully, Shiro swiftly attacked, keeping Hisui at bay at the bottom by getting in his way, interfering in whatever method he deems suitable, unhanded or not.

Munakata, though tired and injured, reacted more quickly than Suoh, as he was used to being alert even if the mission was proceeding smoothly because as long as it wasn't successfully completed, he knew that anything could go wrong in a split second. Hence, when Suoh didn’t have enough time to react to desperate calls of his clansmen and dodge the incoming bullets, without thinking, Munakata raised his hand towards Suoh, erecting a bright cerulean shield around the Red King. Though he knew his Sword was close to its limits, he had just instinctively protected his lover, without considering the consequences, he just  _had to._

With enough time bought by Shiro, Suoh’s broken sword had already descended past to the point of no return, where even if Hisui did escape Shiro, he wouldn’t be able to stop the sword in time. However, just as everyone was about to let out another sigh of relief, Munakata’s sword started chipping away as the bullets continued pelting away at his shield, showing similar signs to what Suoh’s sword had earlier.

Even with desperate shouts and screams to pull back his aura, he stubbornly blocked them out, refusing to back down, until he could be confident of Suoh’s safety, eyes and focus trained on his lover. With no more Aura to use, Suoh could only pound away urgently at the shield, pleading for Munakata to put down the shield, while the electric sparks surrounding him became more and more prominent.

Awashima, seeing how her Captain was obstinately tuning them out, unsheathed her sword, preparing for the worst, even if she had never thought things would turn out this way. As her sword glimmered in the sunlight, Suoh’s eyes caught sight of the sharp blade, understanding its implication immediately. Suoh’s eyes widened in panic, his facial expression contorting to appearances that entirely broke Suoh’s usual bored façade, baring his agony and franticness to everyone. Awashima felt tears collect at the corner of her eyes as she faced the situation, thoughts of being unprofessional pushed to the back of her mind, sword quivering in her hands.

As the orb on Munakata sword started to lose its light and the usually shimmering sword lost its sparkle, turning dull, Suoh’s sword plunged and pierced right into the heart of the Slate. A column of light erupted from the Slate, similar to the one before when its power was released, enveloping the swords that were in the air, Munakata’s sword that was already slightly lower than the rest, Hisui’s sword as well as Shiro’s. The swords disintegrated and faded into the light heading towards the heavens.

The glowing green orb within Hisui’s chest lost its light and vanished, leaving behind a collapsed boy that outlived his years and a gaping hole in his chest where his heart was supposed to be. Shiro, once realising that it was the end, from both the solid evidence of Hisui no longer breathing in front of him as well as the loss of his aura, breathed out a sigh of relief and his features relaxed. Neko, who was next to him, leapt up in joy, energetically celebrating as she bounced about Shiro. Kuroh, who finally arrived at the scene, watched affectionally at his King and fellow clansman, pleased that this was finally over.

The currents around Munakata disappeared together with his sword, the shield he constructed around Suoh burst into bright blue sparkles, almost like snow, floating around and evaporating around Suoh. Suoh, once out of his protective case, rushed over to the cobalt-haired man, that still had his arm out towards where Suoh was and hunched on the ground, supported by the other arm. He threw his arms around the weakened Captain, burying his face in the junction between Munakata’s uninjured shoulder and neck, holding him tightly within his embrace.

Awashima watched on with glazed eyes and a gentle smile found their way to her lips, ease flooding her system. Though they were still much to do to sort out this mess and no doubt they had to adapt and adjust with the loss of their aura, this was the best outcome she could have hoped for.

Just as she had relaxed, Fushimi and Hirasaka emerged from the ground between her and Munakata, with his arm over her shoulder as support. Suoh who was originally surprised by the sudden appearance and immediately tighten his grip on Munakata protectively, then shifted Munakata such that the Captain was able to meet his clansman.

“Mission accomplished, Sir…”

“Well done, Fushimi-kun.”

A tired and soft expression graced Munakata’s face as stared at his favourite subordinate, proud of what he managed to accomplish as well as staying loyal to Scepter 4. Just as everyone scattered off, Homra clansmen searching for their own to ensure their safety while Scepter 4 clansmen quickly carried out orders to reorganise and settle the mess created, Munakata felt his eyelids starting to slip, much too heavy to keep open.

Before he slipped off into unconsciousness, he managed to catch Suoh's blurred cries, as though he was listening from underwater, and abruptly went slack within Suoh’s arms.

_It’s warm and safe here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally rewatched K season 2 as I wrote this and omg the feels guys WHY WASN'T SUOH THERE DAMNIT *^*


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guyssss, it's finally the last chapter, whew. I managed to cough out an almost 50k story. Woah. I honestly didn't expect such a long story. I was inspired by a doujinshi and wanted to write an angsty one shot but what happened. *sighs* anyways! Just to make things clear, the start is Munakata's lost memories! As usual, enjoy the chapter and thank you for accompanying me on this long journey!

When Suoh arrived back at the apartment, it was close to 9 pm at night. HOMRA just had taken out an enemy base that has been causing them some problem for some time and was celebrating back at the bar. The enemy has been getting on their nerves quite a bit, conducting deals with illegal drugs and starting fights on their turfs. Furthermore, they got their hands on smuggled weapons, such as handguns, pistols and rifles, making them quite the formidable gang.

With a bit of luck, Kusanagi managed to retrieve some intel that they were planning to have a meeting, with the higher-ups earlier that night. The meeting was planned to be held at a secluded and abandoned warehouse by the sea, far away from the nearest docks and prying eyes. With all the big shots in one place, it was the perfect opportunity to get rid of the problem at the root. Any small shots left were like sewer rats compared to the cunning hyenas leading this kind of seedy crew of hoodlums.

Courtesy of Kusanagi, their plans went without a hitch, though the fight put up was commendable and resulted in some injuries on their sides. Unfortunately, one of the casualties was Kusanagi, who was ambushed when his focus was occupied with two other executives. Suoh couldn’t hold back the urge to deal back tenfold the damage done and went ‘slightly’ overboard with his powers. At that time, his sword was still pristine and new, shiny and bright, the result of him just being crowned relatively recently. However, with the reputation of HOMRA being a gang that was newly formed, they got attacked often by older gangs trying to protect their territories and dominate them, causing frequent and sometimes high usage of his aura.

However, the sight of his friend crouching on the ground while struggling to fend off the two executives with a nasty bleeding slash across his entire back tossed Suoh’s control carelessly away into the wind. The thought of holding back never crossed his thoughts as he allowed for his aura to build up crazily, melting the giant metal crates around him like butter without any effort at all.

He dashed forward and took out the three offenders, with the ambusher being the first, of course, and the other two after. Suoh couldn’t really deny when confronted that he overdid it, considering that they were bruised and broken beyond saving, though still very much alive, afterwards. Suoh wanted them to suffer and didn’t want to offer them death as an easy way, wanting them to have permanent damage for the rest of their lives.

As he adapted and slowly got used to becoming a King, he could sometimes feel a dam within him that was being bashed against, while it tries its best to resist the pounding and strain, occurring every time he increases his usage of his aura. As of recent, that sensation had become stronger, almost like it was a warning telling him that the sea walls were going to come crashing down and lose to the incoming Tsunami soon. In spite of the alarm bells in Suoh’s head, with Kusanagi’s safety as a priority, he pushed that feeling away without a second thought.

Tonight, however, the once tough dam was at its breaking point and was now fragile as paper against the incoming flood. As soon as the last offender touched the concrete floor splashed and painted with their fresh blood, an ear-piercing and ominous crack filled the otherwise serene port.

The clansmen involved involuntarily shifted their attention to the roof of the warehouse, where Suoh’s Damocles Sword hung steadily but stayed hidden from view. But before anyone could move a muscle, a tell-tale whirring of sirens shattered the tense silence that followed after the resounding crack, announcing Scepter 4’s presence. Unbeknownst to Suoh, Fushimi had been tracking his Weismann levels while on the way to the site of action and his tracker had indicated worryingly high levels of aura usage, that had filled Munakata with uneasiness, who was in the same van as Fushimi, allowing him to the observed the ever-updating data flashing across the screen.

After a prolonged period of denial, he had ultimately given in to Suoh’s pestering albeit reluctantly, too well aware of his own feelings towards to the hot-tempered man and finally decided to acknowledge them. With the help of some prompting from his own clansmen, namely Awashima and Fushimi, who had claimed that ignoring it and getting distracted at work was not a long-term solution, he had submitted to his own desires and entered a relationship with the volatile Red King.

Though he was slightly ashamed of his inability to keep his personal troubles hidden and causing his colleagues to worry for him, he was pleasantly surprised and grateful when Awashima was understanding when it came to his situation, for he was someone who never truly felt infatuation and love for another and understandably had trouble adjusting and resisting Pandora’s box.

Fushimi, on the other hand, was less forgiving and didn’t bother mincing his words. He clearly had laid out the facts for Munakata, that though his work was not being delayed, his concentration wasn’t present at certain moments that led the team and Fushimi himself included having to cough discreetly to draw his attention back to the matter at hand and not to mention, the damage Suoh was causing to Tsubaki-mon every time he came to visit Munakata was drilling quite an obnoxious and significant hole in their budget to repair.

As a result, he finally caved into his own desires as well as Suoh's, leaving the latter feeling smug and accomplished, as though the cat finally caught its mouse after numerous attempts and came out victorious. Though Suoh always seemed to be freeloading at Kusanagi’s bar, it turned out that he had a rather luxurious and spacious apartment that was near Tsubaki-mon, which he had convinced Munakata to move in after countless times with him ending up staying the night anyway.

While they were still fine-tuning to one another, Munakata couldn’t deny the satisfaction he felt when he wakes up to Suoh’s snoozing face every morning, gentle, vulnerable and endearing. Just as he became slightly distracted, a blaring alarm rang out from the computer in front of Fushimi, jolting him out of his daydream, glaringly flashing the word “DANGER” in bright red, filling Munakata with dread as the van raced towards the destination.

Right as they were about to arrive, Munakata had glanced out of the window to catch sight of the majestic sanguine sword floating in the air above a particular warehouse when he heard a sharp and distinct crack, similar to that of a window cracking when exposed to a sudden drop in temperature. Just before the Sword faded, his keen eyes managed to notice a rift, though not large by any standards, but it marred the beautiful sword perfect exterior and left a fissure in the no longer perfectly smooth surface of the sword’s body.

Just as the sword disappeared, HOMRA clansmen scattered out of the warehouse to be met by the Scepter 4 squad. After their usual faceoff, they separated and headed back to their respective headquarters, HOMRA to their bar, Scepter 4 back to Tsubaki-Mon.

Suoh was inwardly very affected by the fracture in his sword and felt dreadfully apprehensive, though he tried his best to upfront his signature bored expression. Once the injured were patched up, the rest of the boys tried to cheer their King up by suggesting a celebration was in order after the tough takedown, hoping to at least help to take his mind off whatever that was troubling him, seeing as that they didn’t have the right to probe and breach something that Suoh didn’t want to talk about.

Only Kusanagi was brave enough to try to broach the subject, but with everyone else’s presence, he didn’t get far. Anna merely held his hand within her gentle, soft ones and threw him concerned glances while staying in consolating silence. Though Suoh foreboded the unknown and ominous future, he tucked it aside, deciding that he didn’t want to be selfish and bring his clan down with his worries, so he encouraged the celebration, which soon got rowdy with the addition of alcohol. With alcohol in his system, Suoh found it easier to ignore the baleful nagging within him and let himself go, allowing himself to be caught in the flow of the raucous party.

With his belly filled up with Yata’s savoury and abundant feast, he soon felt sleepy and decided it was time to head home.

The apartment was dark and silent, but the figure on the coach was anything but relaxed or asleep. Munakata was sitting rigidly straight, muscles clearly tensed, with his eyes not particularly focussed on anything in front of him. When he heard Suoh’s arrival, he kept his eyes trained on the floor and spoke up when Suoh approach him, his baritone voice carrying gravely across the sombre silence.

“Why did you do that?”

“Hah?”

“I asked, why did you do that?”

“That referring to?”

“Recklessly using your aura.”

If only it were like any other day, where he would come home bruised and tattered, clearly from a fight, and Munakata would routinely nag away like a mother hen, repeatedly telling him over and over again to be careful when using his aura, that his aura had a limit. Suoh would then let out a sigh, resigning himself to the fussing from his lover. However, with the serious atmosphere, his memories of the crevice that newly formed on his sword came rushing back, unwelcomed in his mind.

“I don’t have the energy to deal with your nagging today, Munakata. ‘M gonna head to bed.”

Suoh felt stressed and repulsed by the subject, not in the mood to put up with Munakata's questioning and demands. With the alcohol swirling in his system, he wanted to enjoy a little more time staying purposefully unaware of the impending danger and risk that now came with using his aura. He wasn't ready and didn’t want to face the facts and though he knew Munakata’s nagging was ultimately because he cared, he just didn’t have the strength to face the facts now. He wanted to stay _blissfully ignorant_ for just a while longer. So, he retreated.

But before Suoh could even enter the hallway leading to the bedroom, Munakata abruptly stood, violet eyes flashing in the darkness. He swiftly strode into Suoh's path, stubbornly blocking him off from his escape route, demanding his attention.

“Suoh! This is important, don’t avoid it!”

“Look, it’s been a long day, okay? I’m tired. Can’t you just let me off this time? We can discuss this tomorrow, right?”

“I saw it, Suoh. The crack.”

Suoh's breath got caught midway, getting trapped in his tightening throat, disbelief and shock colouring his face. His eyes widened briefly, and his hands hung limply at his side, his chest abruptly constricting in apprehension, almost like a python wrapping unmercifully around its prey, choking it to death.

How did Munakata see it? He had immediately deactivated his Sanctum, in fear of letting someone see, such that even his clansmen around him didn’t get a glimpse of it, so how did Munakata…?

Suoh instinctively reached into his back pocket, unconsciously falling back on unhealthy habits for comfort, and half-expected his hand to close around a familiar paper box containing his cigarettes. To his chagrin, his fingers merely grasped around empty air.

That’s right. He promised Munakata and _himself_ that he would cut down on his smoking habits.

Irritation from the withdrawal of Nicotine, the fear and helplessness that ate away at him, constantly reminding him that there was nothing he could do about the irrevocable situation, the annoyance and frustration from being denied a brief escape to face the frightful and alarming reality and the burnout and fatigue mixed into an ugly concoction inside Suoh’s brain, causing him to snap.

“Yea. I know. My sword got fucked up. But what do you want me to do?! Glue it back up? Pray to god to mend the crack for me? Go to the Slates and pray for it to put my sword back together? No! I _know_ that I can’t do _anything_ about it! You think I don’t fear a Damocles Down? You think I’m not afraid of killing everyone around me? You're wrong! I am scared. But so what? Does it even matter? When it’s like this already, there’s nothing I can do except stride straight on, knowing that I’m now a ticking time bomb! To continue fighting a losing battle! Fuck off and leave me alone, Munakata! I’m sick of you nagging at me all the time, why can’t you just leave me alone just like I asked you to?!”

Suoh wasn’t able to control and suppress his anger, letting it lash out like a whip, snapping sharply and powerfully as it made contact with Munakata's ill-timed goodwill. Though Munakata was aware of Suoh’s distress, he wasn’t prepared for an impetuous outburst like this. He was equally worried, if not more, than Suoh. He knew he was the calmer one, the one who manages to keep his cool when under a stressful situation, automatically assigning him the role to pull and reign Suoh back to reality when needed.

With such a dire situation, Munakata only felt that it was appropriate to address it immediately. However, that didn’t make Suoh's undeliberately malicious and piercing words hurt any less. His chest squeezed acutely, making it hard to breathe properly, causing them to come in and out in stuttered breaths, his orbs showed transparent agony and glazed over. His empty stomach churned unpleasantly and his slender fingers dug painfully into his palms, leaving stark red crescent moons in his deathly pale hands. His face then hardened, determined and cold. He knew for a fact that Suoh didn’t mean to cause him emotional pain, but it didn’t mean that Munakata deserved to be put through this.

“Look. I care about your wellbeing. The crack is significant, Suoh. I’m just as concerned as you. What I want to address is-”

“Shut up! Didn’t I tell you I just want to be alone right now? Just get out of my way!”

When Suoh shoved Munakata aside roughly, he had expected for the midnight-haired man to be able to stand his ground and to be firmly rooted into the ground. However, he didn’t. No resistance was put up at all and he fell limply onto the floor, almost like a rag doll, his legs folded beneath him, his arms weakly supporting his figure that was barely noticeably shaking. His fringe covered his eyes like an opaque curtain, concealing them from view, prohibiting the world to peek into the windows to his soul, withdrawing his hurt and grief deep within, away from Suoh.

Suoh had instinctively known he had overstepped his boundaries, for he had never meant to cause any harm to Munakata, whether verbal or physical. His flare-up had already undoubtedly cause undue pain to his lover, but he was beyond frustrated with the seemingly hopeless and dire situation at hand and Munakata was just pouring oil into the fire.

As he kneeled down, preparing to calm himself down to apologise and explain, he heard a soft mutter.

“I don’t want this anymore.”

The voice spoken was raw, soft and tired, stopping Suoh’s hand from reaching Munakata’s shoulders. His arm shot back towards himself, as though burnt from a stove, shock rendering him speechless. His facial expression then darkened, his mind running at miles per second, interpreting what Munakata said and jumping to baseless conclusions with his gut blinded by fury and hurt. He retaliated as a form of defence mechanism when he didn't know how to handle the situation, choosing to hurt, toxic and poison spewing out from his lips.

“Fine. I knew I was the one chasing you and I knew I was the one who fell first. I guess it's true, that the one who falls first always loses. But I’m tired now. If you don’t reciprocate, fine. Just tell me. Don’t string my feelings along with your game."

"Wha-"

"I wish... I wish that I never fell for you in the first place. I’m leaving.”

When the final sentence that was spoken so softly yet deadly ended, a sense of finality sank into Munakata. Quickly realising Suoh’s misinterpretation, his eyes shot up, mouth opening in protest.

“Wait, Suoh!”

All that answered was fading footsteps that never paused and a slam from the front door.

Left alone in the dark room, a chill ran down Munakata’s spine. However, the weather wasn’t particularly cold that night. But the house suddenly felt like it lost its Sun.

Feeling tears prickle at the edges of his eyes, Munakata frustratedly wiped them away, refusing to let them fall. As he struggled to regulate his breathing, Munakata fumbled through his thoughts, desperately trying to sort them out.

Though he knew it was best to clarify the misunderstanding as soon as possible, he knew showing up would just cause Suoh to clam up and refuse to meet him, so he painfully and reluctantly held back from dashing after him and decided to let Suoh cool down first and then find him as soon as possible.

Munakata wasn't able to handle being in this apartment any longer, the _home_  that he shared with Suoh, the one he lived in with Suoh, the dear place where he and Suoh had spent countless happy memories in. It had reeked of Suoh, from his carelessly tossed jacket to his cup in which he used to drink his coffee from, it was saturated with his scent and presence, all reminders of the man that just walked out.

Misery gripped unrelentingly at his being, while he searched through his frustratingly blurred vision for his bare essentials to bring over to Tsubaki-mon. He initially wasn’t aware of how far he has already fallen for Suoh but if the bone-crushing and gruelling heartache told him anything, it was that he was too far gone.

* * *

 

Munakata shot up in his bed, causing a wave of dizziness to overcome his senses, forcing him to shut his eyes, his left hand automatically coming up to rub at his temples. After regaining his orientation, Munakata cautiously opened his eyes, to ensure that he was feeling well enough and that the dizziness had subsided. His right arm was stiffly held in place to prevent movement and his shoulder throbbed slightly. Memories of what had happened with their retrieval of the Slate slowly filled in the gaps in his confused mind, still slightly disorientated in terms of time.

It was then it registered in his mind his left hand, that was shielding his eyes, was empty.

Suoh wasn’t here.

Panic flooded his system, especially just after reliving the argument, emotions still fresh in his head. As his panicking eyes darted around the hospital room, the sound of the door sliding open abruptly drew all his attention to the visitor. The red-haired man was very much surprised to see Munakata in such a distraught state, where his usual cool façade was broken, desperation and worry clouding his features.

“Suoh!”

When Munakata’s frantic and searching gaze finally fell on Suoh and his mind finally registered the man's presence in the room, he felt his racing heart start to calm down and relief flooded his system.

Suoh was still here. With him.

Suoh tilted his head in confusion, silently asking what’s wrong as he quickly made his way to Munakata’s side.

“Hey. What's wrong? Are you okay?”

“Yeah... Just woke up a little panicked. You weren’t by my side when I woke up.”

“Sorry, needed to use the bathroom. More importantly, are you feeling better? You suddenly fainted, scared the shit outta me.”

“Hmm. I’m feeling better now. Just a little stiff in the shoulder.”

“Mm. That’s good to hear.”

“Suoh.”

“Hmm?”

“I remember them. My memories are back.”

Suoh froze and stiffened up, clearly not at all prepared to hear the news. He had no idea how Munakata's wish got granted, considering that there were no links between what they did and the fight they had. Suoh stared confusedly at Munakata, with a cocked eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation through his gaze. Deciding not to be a tease and leave Suoh hanging, Munakata started to fill in the details he knew Suoh wanted to hear.

But first, a scolding was in order. His cheeks puffed out in irritation, brows furrowed deeply as he frowned angrily at Suoh as the rant started to rush out of his downturned lips.

“You.  _St_ _upid. Idiotic. Doofus!_ How could you have walked out on me, you _goddamn birdbrain._ How dare you assume that I didn’t love you back and just left! You-! Y-You _prick_! You _jerk_!”  

By then, Munakata was pounding away at Suoh with his uninjured hand, babbling away, childish terms meant for insults pouring out of his lips, without any concern of upkeeping his usual posh and polite manner of speaking. His eyes were shut as he weakly punched at Suoh’s chest, who merely took in everything in silence, staring down at his lover with unblinking eyes, trying to process everything that was happening. He stood frozen in the same pose as when he first heard the unexpected news from Munakata. Gears started to churn in his head, trying to link the facts together and draw up a clearer and more complete picture of the whole situation.

If Munakata got back his memories, then that meant that his wish was granted. But if they were still together, or at least, Suoh wasn’t aware of a breakup or anything of the sort, then that in turn, implies that Munakata didn’t wish for them to break off. Which means that Munakata still loves him enough to be with him. Just like him with Munakata.

With that somewhat simple but fulfilling and satisfying conclusion drawn up, Suoh immediately slackened and plopped tiredly to the chair by the bed, letting out a sigh of immense relief. Munakata was taken aback by the abrupt shift in Suoh’s posture, from taut to relaxed, and glanced worriedly at Suoh, suddenly coming to the realisation that Suoh might have sustained an injury and he had aggravated it.

“…Suoh?”

“Yes, yes, I’m an idiot. Now, would you please enlighten this idiot by what _the hell_ did you mean by that sentence?”

“I meant that I didn’t want the _King’s power_ anymore, not that I didn’t want our relationship anymore. We were on the topic of our auras, I thought that the responsibilities of having our aura was tiring us out, stressing us out. So, I mentioned that I didn’t want _that_ anymore. How on earth did it suddenly relate to our relationship!?”

Suoh felt like slapping his own face, not just once, but a few times, for the amount of torture and pain he put both of them through for his stupid mistake. Now, _that_ explained why destroying the Slate granted Munakata's wish. He was too caught up in his blinding fury then, and when Munakata mentioned that so out of the blue after Suoh's treatment towards him, _in their apartment no less_ , how else was he supposed to take it?! He had obviously assumed that Munakata didn't want to handle and take his bullshit anymore and wanted out. He let out a groan of frustration, not believing how _simple_ everything could have been, swearing at how differently Munakata thought from his own.

Munakata rolled his eyes as he watched Suoh reprimand himself for his own idiocy and temper, feeling fond exasperation and finding solace in finally clarifying up the misunderstanding, relieving a rather heavy and suffocating boulder off his chest. 

“Why didn’t you chase after me to explainnnnn?”

In response, Munakata cocked his eyebrow, expression flat, conveying clearly his thoughts on Suoh’s whine. _You know why I didn’t._

Suoh buried his face in both his face and let out another sigh of vexation and resignation, before meekly facing up to look at his lover’s unamused expression.

“Right. Ahem. So, um, I’m sorry about lashing out at you that night. _And_ walking out that night,” Suoh quickly added when Munakata threw him that unpleased, flat and expectant look.

“I knew that I hurt you with my words and I know I can never take them back. They were in the heat of the moment phrases and that's no excuse but I still love you very much. I still very much want us to be together. I will never  _ever_ regret being with you. Please give me another chance to repent for my mistakes and change for the better. I need you by my side for that. Let me grow into a better person, a man that can love you and give you all that you deserve and more. Will you stay with me, please,  _Reisi_?"

Munakata’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, not expecting Suoh’s sincere confession and apology, well he _did_ expect an apology, but still. Momentarily speechless, Munakata stared blankly back at Suoh’s side profile, observing the emotions flickering in those golden orbs that glanced anxiously back at him, those intense smouldering eyes that he loves so much, nervousness, guilt, uncertainty. With the only two of them in the room, Suoh had no need to hold on to his façade, no need to put up a strong front, so all his feelings came across loud and crystal clear to Munakata.

Suoh’s posture was slightly hunched, as though he was trying to make himself as small as possible, almost as though he was a meek little cat, no longer a fierce roaring lion, with his ears curved down, a cute pout and furrowed brows. He almost looked like a guilty, naughty child caught red-handed for stealing food from the kitchen in the middle of the night.

Munakata let out a huff of amusement, before opening up his chest for Suoh, which he could only done with his left arm. Suoh’s face lit up hopefully, perking up immediately, straightening up before he leaned over to snuggle in Munakata’s chest. As he laid across the warm and toned chest, he felt a low rumble in the front of a chuckle escaping from Munakata, who smiled affectionately at the unexpectedly cuddly and endearing actions from HOMRA’s fierce gang leader.

As Suoh encircled his arms around Munakata’s back, he took in the all familiar and comforting scent of his lover, feeling relief and _home_ wash over him. He let out a sigh of contentment as Munakata treaded his fingers through Suoh’s unruly hair and basked in each other’s presence.

"By the way, that apology sounded almost to me like a wedding proposal." Munakata laughed lightly as he teased Suoh, unable to resist the urge to poke lightly at the uncharacteristic gentleness of the usually ferocious and violent man.

Unexpectedly, instead of becoming embarrassed, Suoh looked up with a smug smirk on his face, before boldly declaring.

"In that case, will you marry me, your highness?"

That earned Suoh a solid smack to his head and a furiously blushing Munakata that now buried his burning face in Suoh's white shirt.

_What a barbaric idiot!_

* * *

 Unbeknownst to the content and blissful couple, Yata stood out the door together with Fushimi, his face completely scarlet and hot to the touch. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but when he arrived, he caught Fushimi stealthily sneaking a video recorder into the room, who clamped his hand over Yata's mouth before any sound left it.

He indicated for Yata to be quiet with his index finger vertically across his lips and leaned against the door, and motioning for Yata to do the same. 

Now, Yata would never be able to view Suoh the same way again without remembering this scene and combusting, while Fushimi now had an advantage if he needed to negotiate with Suoh. 

Either way, they both wished for the happiness of their Kings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally doneeeeee, I was honestly having quite some trouble figuring out the ending so that it would be a happy and satisfying one! I ended up leaving it here and not further elaborating, wanting to end the story off with them finally clearing up their misunderstanding and just being simply happy that they had one another! I also couldn't resist the image of Fushimi being sneaky and secretly recording it xD Once again, thanks for accompanying me on this journey and I hoped that you enjoyed the story as much as I do! I may consider rewriting this story up as when I thought back about it, some parts were rather inconsistent and some parts could be beefed up more. So we'll see how that goes! And maybe a marriage epilogue could come in the near future, who knows :>


End file.
